SAN FRANCISCO _ At 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds, he's a forceful, feared creature who has cultivated a reputation as one of the most dominant pitchers of the last decade.
But with each time he emerges in his natural habitat _ the mound in the middle of the diamond _ Madison Bumgarner is more than just the sturdy left-handed ace tasked with turning an opponent into prey.
He's an elephant in the room known as AT&T Park.
Since the free agency era began in 1976, only one other left-handed pitcher has compiled a lower ERA in their first decade of starting than Bumgarner's 3.00 mark.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw's 2.36 ERA in his first 10 seasons placed him on the fast-track to the Hall of Fame, but Kershaw's franchise isn't facing the same kind of dilemma the Giants must soon confront.
The Dodgers are five-time reigning National League West champions and the front-runners to take the division crown again this season. The Giants are four years removed from their last World Series and have posted a 151-198 record since the 2016 All-Star break.
Rebuild or remodel? Tear it all down or patch it back together? It's the decision beginning to loom over the San Francisco Giants and a determination that hinges on Bumgarner's status with the franchise.
