The rumors surrounding Miami Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton have heated up as of late and with the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings just around the corner that should continue to be the case.
Teams got their first glimpse of what kind of package the Marlins are looking for in return for the reigning National League MVP, as they would reportedly be willing to accept the San Francisco Giants offer of Joe Panik and two of their top prospects for Stanton if the Giants are willing to take on at least $250 million of his remaining 10-year, $295 million contract.
Stanton holds a full no-trade clause though and has expressed interest in playing for his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, so it’s currently unknown if he would waive the no-trade clause for any other team unless he knows the Dodgers have no interest in acquiring him.
The Dodgers have shown some interest, although talks have reportedly failed to progress as the Dodgers may be unwilling to take on as much of his salary as the Marlins want. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Dodgers are currently in no rush in trying to acquire Stanton:
The Dodgers are said to be “playing it cool so far,” which might be a strategy, or might actually be a sign they see this as a long shot at best. People familiar with their situation still suggest such a mega-deal isn’t likely (though not necessarily impossible).
“It would take some creative financing to (land Stanton) and maneuver around the tax,” one person familiar with their situation said, stopping short of ruling it out.
As stated by the front office on multiple occasions, getting under the luxury tax threshold is a big priority for the Dodgers this offseason, which would be tough to do if they take on Stanton’s contract.
The Dodgers do have much better prospects to offer than the Giants though, so perhaps the Marlins would be willing to eat more of Stanton’s contract for a better return, but if the Dodgers are even interested in doing that remains to be seen.
