A longstanding expectation of Giancarlo Stanton getting traded by the Miami Marlins cooled some when he signed a 13-year, $325 million contract in November 2014. Stanton’s mega deal includes an opt-out clause after the 2020 season, but it would entail him leaving $218 million on the table.
Moreover, the 28-year-old also holds a full no-trade clause. While Stanton and the Marlins made a longterm commitment to one another, confident success lied ahead, little has gone according to plan. They’ve finished under .500 in each of the past three seasons, with their best record coming in 2016 at 79-82.
The organization was dealt an unexpected loss when Jose Fernandez tragically passed in a boating accident. This year, the team was sold to a group that includes former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter as one of its principle owners.
As the chief executive officer, Jeter has already made several changes in the front office, and the club has been linked to several potential trade scenarios. One of which is getting out from Stanton’s contract.
According to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Boston Red Sox are among the suitors for Stanton:
According to a Major League source, talks between the Red Sox and Marlins involving a trade for the slugger “may be heating up.”
“They’re definitely in play,” the source said of the Red Sox, who are at least exploring the possibility of acquiring the Majors’ reigning home run king.
Stanton is coming off a season in which he batted .281/.376/.631 with 32 doubles, 59 home runs and 132 RBI. He led the Majors in home runs and RBI, which would bode well for a Red Sox team that ranked last in home runs this season.
The St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies were previously reported as teams to have had preliminary contact with the Marlins for their star slugger. Trade speculation presumably will ramp up next week at the General Managers meetings.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have generally been connected to Stanton over recent years, but to this point have not been mentioned in recent speculation.
