Posted on December 3, 2017, by Bryan Zarpentine
Image via usatoday.com
The end of the Giancarlo Stanton trade saga may finally be in sight. The most recent reports surfacing Sunday afternoon indicate that the Miami Marlins have the framework of a deal in place with both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. Those two teams appear to be the top favorites to land Stanton at this point. However, the ball remains in Stanton’s court as far as accepting a trade.
Over the weekend, Stanton reportedly met with both the Giants and Cardinals. Presumably, those meetings revolved around convincing Stanton why he should wave his no-trade clause and accept a trade to each team. The Marlins can’t trade Stanton anywhere unless he approves. If he were willing to accept a trade to one team and not the other, Miami would have no choice but to trade him there.
Right now, the Cardinals would appear to have the better offer on the table. Surprisingly, they are offering to take on more of Stanton’s contract than the Giants. Miami’s top priority for trading Stanton is freeing themselves of his contract. Stanton is owed roughly $295 million over the next 10 years. The Marlins would love to find a suitor willing to take on most or all of that contract. The Cardinals are also willing to include pitching prospect Sandy Alcantara in a trade for Stanton, which would no doubt sweeten the deal for the Marlins.
Sign up for a FREE Consultation to start working with Legendary Sports Bettor Jon Price
Like the Cardinals, the Giants have also made a formal trade offer to the Marlins. Second baseman Joe Panik, as well as prospects Chris Shaw, Tyler Beede, and Heliot Ramos have all been mentioned as possible trade chips. However, it’s unclear which of those plays may be included in the framework of the deal the Marlins and Giants have agreed to.
Even after meeting with both the Cardinals and Giants, Stanton has not told the Marlins if he would accept a trade to either. It’s believed that Stanton is holding out hope that the Los Angeles Dodgers will get more involved. The Dodgers and Marlins have been in contact regarding Stanton. But negotations have not been serious and Los Angeles has not made a formal trade offer. The Dodgers could afford Stanton’s contract and send the Marlins a nice package of prospects. However, after coming up one game short of a World Series championship, the Dodgers don’t necessarily need to make such a drastic move.
If Stanton continues to wait for the Dodgers, this process could continue to drag out. Stanton is doing his due diligence and won’t rush a decision if it means leaving Miami. He essentially has the power to choose where he goes, and that includes staying in Miami if he doesn’t feel comfortable with any of the teams pursuing him. The problem is that the rest of the hot stove is being held up until there is a resolution on his situation.
So while it seems like we are getting closer to a conclusion, the ball remains in Stanton’s court. If he’s unsatisfied with both the Cardinals and Giants and unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to either, this could continue to drag on long into the offseason.