Giancarlo Stanton is one of the most talented players to ever compete in Major League Baseball, but that does not mean a team is going to risk the entire future of its franchise just to acquire the slugger.
The Marlins have already begun shopping Stanton in trade talks, and at least a handful of teams have interest in the 28-year-old. However, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that Miami’s asking price may need to drop significantly in order for something to happen.
Some rival execs view the Marlins' prospect asking price for Giancarlo Stanton as shockingly high and somewhat out of touch with reality, and not discounted nearly enough given the whopping $295 million he's owed (with the forthcoming out clause after the 2020 season).
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 14, 2017
While Stanton had the best season of his career in 2017 with 59 home runs and 132 RBI to go along with a .281 batting average and .631 slugging percentage, the money remaining on his contract makes him difficult to move. If the Marlins want several top prospects in return for Stanton, they are going to have to be willing to eat some of the $295 million he is still owed over the next 10 years.
It’s a given that baseball contracts are going to be horrible in their final years, but Stanton is slated to make $30 million a year in his late-30s. We all saw what happened with Alex Rodriguez’s contract in New York.
Making matters more complicated, Stanton’s contract includes a full no-trade clause. Even if some team is willing to blow the Marlins away with an offer, Stanton still has to sign off on the trade. The Giants, Cardinals, Red Sox and Phillies have all been mentioned as having interest in Stanton, though two of those teams seem to be leading the charge.
