It’s almost certain that the Miami Marlins will trade star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton this winter. The only real question here is where the potential NL MVP will land.
Previous reports had linked him to the soft-hitting San Francisco Giants. Considering the Giants’ offensive issues from the outfield spots, that makes a ton of sense. San Francisco also has the financial capital to take on the remainder of Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million contract.
But now, it appears that the St. Louis Cardinals have emerged as “prime players,” if not clubhouse leaders, for Stanton.
“The St. Louis Cardinals, who are expected to be quite active in the free-agent and trade markets this winter after uncharacteristically missing the playoffs two straight seasons, look to be a prime player for Marlins slugging superstar and NL MVP finalist Giancarlo Stanton,” FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported Thursday.
Heyman noted that St. Louis’ bounty of highly-regarded young arms is what interests Miami the most. That list includes up-and-comers Alex Reyes and Sandy Alcantara.
With their new ownership group looking to cut payroll, the Marlins are said to be on the verge of a potential fire sale. And it’s already being reported that this one Northern California team has interest in two of their highest-profile stars outside of Stanton.
Stanton, 28, is coming off a 2017 campaign that saw him lead the NL in homers (59) and RBI (132). His contract limits the market of teams that might be interested in the outfielder’s services. But St. Louis is reportedly willing to spend money this winter after missing out on the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.