Report: Bumgarner may join Team USA at WBC after 1st round
The United States might have the biggest ringer of them all joining them in the World Baseball Classic.
Team USA has spoken with Madison Bumgarner's representatives about the possibility of him joining the roster sometime after the first round, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.
Back in April, the San Francisco Giants' lefthander said he was open to the idea of joining Team USA, and he would consider it after turning down the opportunity to pitch in the 2013 WBC.
As of now, he has yet to commit to the international tournament.
He said the length of the postseason, mixed in with spring training, makes it a difficult decision.
"It’s such a tough spot because of the timing of it,” Bumgarner said, according to Henry Schulman of SFGate.com. “... I’d love to do it. It’s a great opportunity. Not many people get to play major-league baseball. Even a smaller amount get to do that.”
While the final roster is due in January, the U.S. will have a stacked team with or without Bumgarner. As it stands, the reported preliminary roster includes the likes of Corey Kluber, Justin Verlander, Andrew Miller, and Jake Arrieta.
Last season, Bumgarner was stellar again to the tune of a 2.74 ERA over 226 2/3 innings.