MLB Rumors: Red Sox attend Madison Bumgarner start despite no-trade clause

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The Boston Red Sox are leaving no stone unturned ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

The Red Sox are one of eight teams on Madison Bumgarner's no-trade list. Yet they had a representative in San Francisco anyway Tuesday night to watch the Giants left-hander pitch against the Chicago Cubs, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reported.

Boston has now had a presence at Bumgarner's last two starts, as the club reportedly sent a "high-level" scout to his outing against New York Mets ace Noah Syndergaard last Friday.

Bumgarner's no-trade list includes eight teams -- including the rival New York Yankees and Houston Astros -- but that just means the 29-year-old can veto a trade to those clubs if he chooses.

The Red Sox obviously would benefit from adding a four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion in Bumgarner but don't have much to offer the Giants in terms of prospects. It's also unclear if San Francisco will even deal Bumgarner after continuing its torrid stretch with a 5-4 win Tuesday night.

Boston may have had another reason for watching Tuesday's game, though, as they reportedly have interest in Giants closer Will Smith. Smith pitched two scoreless innings Tuesday night with two strikeouts.

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