Giants CEO wants long-term deal with Bumgarner

The San Francisco Giants may be out of the playoffs this time around, but they're already looking at ways to get back in.

Undoubtedly, having Madison Bumgarner almost certainly gives them the best chance that postseason baseball returns to AT&T Park very, very frequently.

CEO Larry Baer and club president Bobby Evans addressed the media on Thursday, and made it clear that the team will be available whenever Bumgarner wants to talk about his future in the Bay Area.

"We want to make Madison a Giant for a long, long time, beyond his current contract," Baer told reporters.

"When they're interested in talking, we want to make sure we're available," Evans said of his preliminary discussions with Bumgarner and his agents.

Bumgarner signed a team-friendly deal in 2012 before hitting salary arbitration. The postseason powerhouse pitcher will make $11.5 million in 2017 with $12-million options for 2018 and 2019.

"It remains to be seen," Baer said of possibly restructuring Bumgarner's contract. "His value to the Giants is incalculable."

Following a career year in 2016, the 27-year-old is now a four-time All-Star with a knack for being a clutch performer, not only during the year, but in the postseason as well. He owned a 2.74 ERA in the regular season with a career-high 34 starts, 226 2/3 innings and 251 strikeouts.

For reference, Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw is the highest-paid player in baseball for the second consecutive year. The 28-year-old made $32.8 million in the third year of his contract extension he signed in 2014. He'll earn an additional $1 million this season if he wins the Cy Young Award.