New York Yankees potential trade target: Madison Bumgarner

The case for

In Bumgarner, the Yankees would be getting someone with a postseason pedigree. MadBum has pitched well on the big stage several times in the past. That’s something that can’t be said for some guys on the Yankees starting pitching staff.

Former Seattle ace Paxton has never pitched in a playoff game, due to playing for an inferior team. Domingo German has barely pitched in the majors, let alone a playoff game. Severino has been up and down in his postseason career. In six playoff starts, Sevy is 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA. Additionally, he has thrown 23 innings over six starts, which is less than four innings per start.

The only starting pitcher likely to get a regular turn in a postseason game with a track record of success in big games is Masahiro Tanaka. Despite only five starts and 30 innings pitched, New York Yankees fans should feel confident with Tanaka on the mound in any big game.

Bumgarner, however, would give them another option that they could be confident about using in a prominent spot. Another positive is that Bumgarner’s ERA and FIP/xFIP are not that far off. He has an ERA of 3.86, with a FIP of 3.80. That means the Bombers would at least know what they’re getting if they were to trade for MadBum.