Giants mailbag: Assessing Bumgarner’s current trade value, when a rebuild will start

SAN FRANCISCO CA – MAY 12: Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, May 12, 2019, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants are 17-23 and already 8.5 games out in the National League West, but they’re shaping up to be one of the most interesting clubs to follow this summer.

New president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is motivated to build a winner sooner rather than later, and the July 31 trade deadline represents a significant day for the organization. The Giants have a handful of assets at the major league level who can provide much-needed help for playoff contenders, so Zaidi…