Stanton Trade Rumors Continue to Loom

After recently being instated as the National League MVP of the 2017-18 MLB season, the Miami Marlins are reportedly continuing to seek out trade options for outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. The motivation behind the ideology of trading Stanton comes from his overwhelming salary, rather than the numbers he has put up for the franchise in years past.

Signed through the next eleven seasons with Miami, new ownership has made it clear that their intentions are to cut their current payroll almost in half. In order to accomplish that, resolving Stanton’s $25+ million annual salary, which reaches a peak of $32 million from years 2023-25, is a must-encounter situation.

Although new club owner Derek Jeter is facing a lot of heat for this unusual thought process, it’s important to note that he was never actually involved in the contract negotiations with Stanton, so is it fair to blame him for wanting to ship out a player who’s owed a total of $295 million?

In most recent light, one team that is emerging as a suitor for the four-time All-Star happens to be the St. Louis Cardinals. Another team involved with the ongoing trade rumors include the Boston Red Sox, who have a multitude of young pieces they could offer in return for the superstar’s services.

Despite the rumors, Stanton has also spoken out about his no-trade clause, and has desired not to be traded to either of the aforementioned destinations. If Stanton essentially holds the Marlins within a “financial hostage” situation, it may lead to a very sticky situation for Jeter and the rest of the front office.

After an MVP season in which the outfielder secured a batting average of .282, and reeled in 59 HR, 132 RBI, and 123 runs, Stanton will likely be viewed as the hottest attraction during the current MLB offseason.

The question is quite simple: Would you want your franchise to reel in a superstar over the next ten seasons at the twelfth-highest cost in the league? On one hand, long-term investments have paid off before, which can be proven with the Detroit Tigers and their current eight-year, $248 million deal with Miguel Cabrera.

On the other hand, with examples involving Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols, investing in name brands at long-term stakes has proven to be costly for particular franchises such as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels.

I would argue that the justification is present for Jeter and the rest of the Marlins staff to seek out a trade, as the franchise is eyeing a much-needed rebuild process. Although, just because a team desires to ship out a superstar, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work out. If Stanton elects to exercise his no-trade clause, the Marlins will be forced to seek out alternative routes in order to decrease their payroll, which currently ranks thirteenth in the league heading into 2018.

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