The Giants are of course heavily involved in trade talks with the Marlins regarding NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton. However, Stanton's full no-trade clause and the massive amount of guaranteed money involved make such a deal highly complicated. That's why the Giants are making fallback plans in case a Stanton swap proves impossible. Jon Morosi has the scoop ... 

Trade rumors have swirled about Andrew McCutchen for some time. He's the face of the Pirates' franchise, but he's entering his walk year. McCutchen had a solid bounce-back season in 2017, as he slashed .279/.363/.486 (121 OPS+) with 28 home runs in 156 games. However, he's no longer a difference-maker on the bases, and he's best deployed at a corner outfield spot these days. While McCutchen is just 31 years of age, it looks like his MVP-caliber peak is behind him for good. That said, he would likely be an upgrade for the Giants, who were saddled with terrible outfield production in 2017. McCutchen's owed $14.5 million for the upcoming season. 

The Giants, it should be noted, lost 98 games a season ago. While their baseline is higher than that, especially with a healthy Madison Bumgarner, it's going to take more than McCutchen or even Stanton to turn them into contenders in the tough NL West. That's why adding a name outfielder needs to be the start of an active winter for San Fran and not some kind of culmination.