Madison Bumgarner is close to being a free agent again. The Arizona Diamondbacks DFA'd the San Francisco Giants legend today, and he is certain to clear waivers considering he's owed nearly $37 million over the next two seasons and has produced a 5.23 ERA in parts of four seasons with the D-backs.

Many Giants fans naturally start to think about the possibility of Bumgarner returning home to pitch in front of his adoring fans in San Francisco, but it's truly not a good idea for anyone involved. Bumgarner has proven in Arizona that he's a shell of his former self. The Giants have a good track record with improving pitchers, but they target pitchers with skills they believe can be improved upon. That doesn't seem like the profile of Bumgarner, who also has very few connections to the current Giants, with Brandon Crawford essentially the only remaining link to the glory days of '10, '12, and '14.

Getting to some mailbag questions, is Gabe Kapler's job in jeopardy next year if the Giants have another disappointing season? Do the Giants have any options with Blake Sabol besides just offering him back to the Pirates? Is Joey Bart the long-term answer? Does Patrick Bailey's hot start in Double-A put pressure on any of the current catchers? Will we see Gary Sánchez before his upcoming opt-out on May 1?

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

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