By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
So, the Philadelphia Phillies would "love" to acquire a front-line starting pitcher, and the San Francisco Giants trading away their southpaw ace Madison Bumgarner is said to be becoming "more realistic."
You guessed it. The Phillies are interested.
According to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi on Monday, the Giants are "willing to engage with other teams" about possibly dealing Bumgarner, and the Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers are among the teams that have "had at least preliminary dialogue" to trade for him.
Bumgarner, 29, is a four-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and 2014 National League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player. Through 10 seasons, Bumgarner is 110-83 with a 3.03 ERA, 1,591-385 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.108 WHIP spanning 1,638 1/3 innings and 255 appearances.
Morosi writes:
In nearly three weeks as the Giants' president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi has said very little publicly about his plans for ace Madison Bumgarner. …
The Braves also checked in with the Giants regarding Bumgarner earlier this offseason, sources say, but there are no active talks or optimism for a trade with Atlanta.
Broadly speaking, the circumstances are ripe for Bumgarner to be dealt. Zaidi has been given broad latitude to reshape the organization, and a trade of Bumgarner would begin to replenish a farm system that is not among the best in baseball. Bumgarner is under contract for only one more season at $12 million, meaning he's due to reach free agency before the culmination of even the most rapid rebuild.
The Giants and Zaidi are likely to ask for at least "one high-end pitching prospect" in a Bumgarner trade. Per Morosi, if the Phillies refuse to part ways with top prospect Sixto Sanchez, Zaidi could ask for right-hander Adonis Medina "whom Philadelphia was prepared to trade to Baltimore in July for a half-season of Manny Machado."
Zach Eflin, who was included in trade discussions for Paul Goldschmidt, is another candidate to dealt to San Francisco, per Morosi.
Bumgarner recently had his $12 million option exercised for 2019. He will hit free agency next offseason, although the Phillies would likely try to re-sign him longterm before acquiring him.
While Bumgarner has had back-to-back uncharacteristic seasons in 2017 and 2018 — posting sub-.500 win-loss percentages — he still would easily be the club's No. 1 starter ahead of now-perennial Cy Young Award candidate Aaron Nola, if acquired.
