As you are no doubt aware, trade rumors continue to swirl about Marlins slugger and NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton, of course, is coming off a 59-homer campaign, and he'll be just 28 years of age next season. On the downside, he's still owed almost $300 million, assuming he doesn't exercise his opt-out after the 2020 season. That's a massive commitment, yes, but Stanton's legendary power makes him appealing to contenders willing to take on a big chunk of that remaining salary. The other consideration is that Stanton has a full no-trade clause, and he would apparently prefer to play on the West Coast.
Teams like the Giants, Cardinals, Phillies and Red Sox are known to have some level of interest, and those first two teams have reportedly made offers. The Giants were first to make a reported offer to Miami, and then days later the Cardinals joined the fray. So where does that leave us? Here's Mark Feinsand with the latest ...
Source says Marlins and Giants have had "deeper discussions" on a Giancarlo Stanton deal. Believes Giants are favorites to land the NL MVP, though Cardinals may still be a factor.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 21, 2017
So according to this particular source, the Giants and Marlins are getting further into their talks, and the Giants are likely the front-runners at the moment. The Cardinals, though, remain in the mix.
The Giants are coming off a 98-loss season, and as part of that they got pretty lousy production from the outfield corners. Stanton, obviously, would address that shortfall in a big way. The Cardinals have a stronger farm system, but Stanton must approve any trade. Given that the Giants are indeed on the West Coast, that might give them an edge on that front.
The Marlins' main motivation is shedding payroll. They'll have to kick in some cash in any Stanton deal, and they'll want to extract some prospects at the same time. Stanton's contractual power over any deal, however, limits their options. That's why the Giants may be in the best position, at least right now.
