The Major League Baseball offseason hot stove has been quiet so far to this point, as perhaps teams are waiting to see when Miami Marlins star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton lands before making other moves.
There have been some signings, most notably Justin Upton signing an extension with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Doug Fister signing with the Texas Rangers, among others, but pretty much all of the big name free agents and trade pieces are still currently on the market.
Given the enormity of Stanton’s contract, 10 years and $295 million to be exact, all the teams that have interest in him have to see it through before they target other free agents.
While the Marlins have yet to receive an offer that both they and Stanton like, as he holds a full no-trade clause, many teams believe that the resolution to the Stanton situation would come by the Winter Meetings, which begin Dec. 10.
That may not be the case though, as according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Marlins have not set any deadline on when they want to trade Stanton by and don’t plan to do so:
Source: #Marlins have *not* set a deadline this week for last, best offers in Giancarlo Stanton trade talks, and there is no sign they plan to do so in advance of Winter Meetings, either. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 29, 2017
The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have shown the most interest in Stanton, but as it currently stands he may be unwilling to waive his no-trade clause for either team as he has his sights set on his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Marlins have reportedly issued Stanton a warning that if he doesn’t waive that no-trade clause and remains in Miami then he will be on a losing team as they will instead try to trade some of his teammates in order to cut down payroll.
With the Winter Meetings just a couple weeks away, the rumors surrounding Stanton should continue to be plentiful until that resolution comes.
