In November of 2014, the Miami Marlins signed their star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to a 13-year, $325 million extension that was the most lucrative contract in sports history.
In addition to the length and amount of the contract, the Marlins also gave Stanton a full no-trade clause, meaning he cannot be traded to any team without his approval for the entire length of the contract.
The Marlins are now suffering the consequences of that no-trade clause, as their new ownership group led by Derek Jeter is attempting to trade Stanton in order to reduce their payroll.
What they are finding out is that is not so easy, as the two teams that showed the most interest in Stanton were the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. Any chances of either trading for the slugger came to an end Friday when Stanton informed the clubs he would not waive his no-trade clause.
Former Marlins president David Samson recently commented on the whole Stanton situation, saying he regrets giving him the no-trade clause, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
“When we gave him a no trade clause, it was something he required,” Samson said. “It’s a horrible clause to give to players. It is a big regret I have that I broke our rule and gave him a no trade clause. It’s paralyzing. He is holding the team hostage because he can and it’s the power we gave him.”
It is widely believed that if the Los Angeles Dodgers were to not get involved in the Stanton sweepstakes then he would have been more likely to waive the no-trade clause for the Giants than the Cardinals.
But the fact of the matter is that Stanton signed the 13-year contract to play in Miami, so if he wants to see that play out then he has the ability to do that. Although, the Marlins reportedly issued him a warning that other players would be traded, leaving Stanton with a barren roster if he chose to do that.
No-trade clauses used to be very popular in professional sports, especially for star players, but aren’t quite as common anymore for this exact reason.
