The main reason that Miami Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton has not been traded yet is that he holds a no-trade clause and presumably would like the be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers are not one of the teams that are currently showing interest in him though, as the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have already made offers to the Marlins and met with Stanton or his representatives in Los Angeles to pitch him on possibly waiving his no-trade clause to play for their team.
Among the most recent reports are that Stanton would be more willing to play for the Giants than the Cardinals, which may put pressure on the Dodgers to get more involved in the talks at the risk of losing out on the National League MVP to their biggest rival.
It appears that is not the case, though, as according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, the Dodgers aren’t worried about the Giants possibly getting Stanton and will get involved in the trade talks if it makes sense for them:
The Dodgers, who have won five straight division titles (the Giants had a World Series win in there, though), are said not necessarily to be worried about the Giants acquiring Stanton and his contract, but rather interested in importing a star they like – if they can make it palatable for them.
The Dodgers and the Marlins may not be a match for Stanton as their biggest goal in trading him is to unload his salary, and the Dodgers are trying to reduce payroll to get under the luxury tax threshold.
Additionally, they might feel that a luxury like Stanton is not necessary as they won 104 games in 2017, came one game away from winning a World Series and have plenty of viable options already on the roster to fill out their outfield.