MLB trade deadline: What to watch for with Madison Bumgarner, Giants

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PHILADELPHIA -- The scene at Citizens Bank Park early in batting practice Tuesday presented a heck of a "what if" moment. 

If the Phillies had not swooped in with a monster offer, Bryce Harper might have been on the other side of this matchup. If the Giants had not gotten hot in July, Madison Bumgarner very well could have been in a different city entirely. Instead, Bumgarner stood in the outfield for a while Tuesday afternoon and watched Harper, a Giants target late in the offseason, take batting practice with his Phillies teammates. 

Things can change quickly in this game, as the Giants learned in February when weeks of optimism disappeared with one decision by Harper. But one thing hasn't changed in recent days. Leading up to the deadline, the Giants have not sold and have not bought. They have stood their ground, continuing to take and make calls while evaluating the market. 

This will all be over by 1 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, and with no waiver deadline in August this year, rosters will be set around the league. Here's what you need to know leading up to the deadline:

The Situation

The Giants enter deadline day with a 54-53 record, which puts them 2 1/2 back in the NL wild-card race, but behind four other teams. FanGraphs gives them a 6.2 percent chance of making the postseason. 

Madison Bumgarner

The lefty has been optimistic in recent days that he'll be staying with the surging Giants, but Farhan Zaidi hasn't ruled anything out. The Giants will still listen in case someone bowls them over, and Yahoo's Tim Brown reported Tuesday that the Astros and Giants have talked.

They were an intriguing destination before the Giants took off, as Bumgarner's main focus throughout this process has been to be on a contender down the stretch. 

The Astros have the farm system to get it done, as others do, but the odds are still good that Bumgarner is in the Giants' clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon. He has some control, too, with an eight-team no-trade list. Some have suggested Bumgarner must accept a deal to avoid getting a qualifying offer, but that's not true; he has never been worried about what draft pick compensation might do to his market. 

The bullpen 

The relief market usually goes crazy this time of year, but teams have been hesitant to give up top prospects. This is one area where things can change really quickly, and the Braves gave up a good pitching prospect in Kolby Allard to get two months of former Ranger Chris Martin. That surely caught Zaidi's attention.

Will Smith remains an option to move, along with Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and others. 

Drew Pomeranz's name hit the hot stove Tuesday, but that may be wishful thinking for the Giants given how small the sample size is for Pomeranz out of the bullpen. Still, he's been throwing 95-96 mph, and that could make it easier for Zaidi to deal a more established reliever. The sense in the clubhouse remains that the bullpen will look different after Wednesday's deadline. 

The other option

Don't rule out an addition or two, although they likely would be smaller moves. The Giants still could use help at second base and in the outfield, particularly with Alex Dickerson needing so many days off to rest his back. They showed Tuesday that the right-handed-hitting lineup has holes. 

The Giants could also use some starting depth, as Shaun Anderson has had a rough stretch and Tyler Beede is headed for uncharted territory as far as his innings go. 

The simple truth is that this is Zaidi's first time in charge and he has proven to be a creative builder, so you can't really rule much out until the deadline passes. Three-team deals? Trading with the A's? He's open to anything, and we've never seen him in this position before, so it's hard to predict exactly what he'll do. 

Elsewhere

A player looked up at a clubhouse TV on Tuesday, saw highlights of Noah Syndergaard, and asked, "What are the Mets doing?" That's a good question, and one that may get answered Wednesday. 

Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Robbie Ray are among the frontline starters who could move Wednesday. The Yankees, Astros and others are intent on adding to their rotations, and just about every contender needs bullpen help. The Indians and Twins both seemingly have more work to do as they battle for the AL Central, even after Trevor Bauer was traded to the Reds in a move nobody saw coming.

[RELATED: Latest MLB trade deadline rumors, live updates, analysis]

In the NL West, the Dodgers need someone to pair with Kenley Jansen, the Padres are unpredictable, and the Diamondbacks are acting like they'll sell half their stars, even though they're even with the Giants. 

People throughout the game expect much more as 1 p.m. approaches and executives lower prices. Buckle up! 

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports, where you can watch the MLB Trade Deadline Show at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday. Also check out our comprehensive coverage of the Giants, A’s, 49ers, Raiders, Warriors, Kings and Sharks!

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