The talk of the town at this week’s General Managers Meetings was Giancarlo Stanton, whom the Miami Marlins are looking to trade in order to get out of the 10 years and $295 million remaining on his contract.
The cost could be decreased if Stanton opts out of his deal after the 2020 season, but that would entail the unlikely scenario of him walking away from a guaranteed $218 million. Among the teams that are believed to be interested in the 2017 home run champion are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.
Aside from his large contract, another hurdle to the Marlins potentially dealing Stanton is his full no-trade clause. Moreover, he reportedly will not waive it to accept a deal to the Cardinals or Red Sox.
Despite the reports, the Cardinals are continuing to explore a trade for the four-time All-Star, via Jon Morosi of MLB.com:
Sources say the Cardinals have had recent discussions with the Rays about closer Alex Colome, and top officials from the Cardinals and Marlins met again Wednesday to discuss parameters of a Giancarlo Stanton blockbuster.
While the Marlins presumably are seeking elite prospects in a trade for Stanton, they would he hard pressed to receive such a haul without agreeing to pay a portion of his contract. Any team taking on Stanton’s full deal would likely treat the trade as a strict salary dump.
Although the Dodgers have been linked to Stanton for multiple years, trading for him doesn’t appear to hold much probability. The organization just completed a fifth consecutive year paying the luxury tax, and have moved to lower their payroll in recent seasons.
For the Cardinals, they are armed with several young pitching prospects that could entice the Marlins, and Stanton profiles as the type of bat they are looking to bolster their lineup with.
