St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Marlins grant permission to contact Stanton
St. Louis rumors surface that the Miami Marlins have permitted them to contact Giancarlo Stanton, in an attempt lure him to the Arch City.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors are gaining steam, with the team in hot pursuit of the 2017 NL MVP, Giancarlo Stanton.
Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Dodgers were added to the mix of one of the top destinations for Stanton.
The San Franciso Giants also have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, with details of trade negotiations heating up.
Now, St. Louis Cardinals rumors have emerged, with the Miami Marlins permitting them to contact Giancarlo Stanton, with talks apparently going down today.
Sources: #STLCards officials have a meeting with Giancarlo Stanton today in Los Angeles. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 1, 2017
So, what does this mean for both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants?
#STLCards meeting with Giancarlo Stanton's reps does not necessarily mean trade agreement is in place with #Marlins, but talks have reached serious stage -- as is also the case with #SFGiants. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 1, 2017
Both teams are in initial discussions for Stanton, but it will likely take a while for a decision to be made on his 2018 destination.
Who has more to offer the Miami Marlins, the Cardinals or the Giants?
Well, the San Francisco Giants are apparently using three main young guns as trade bait:
- Joe Panik: Second base
- Chris Shaw: Outfielder
- Tyler Beede: Pitcher
St. Louis Cardinals rumors have stated that they are willing to part ways with some of their young talent, which even includes the likes of their top “prospect,” Alex Reyes, who is still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
It’s also been rumored that Giancarlo Stanton has no interest in joining the Cardinals, but who knows if those claims are true. Neither Stanton or the Miami Marlins have confirmed those reports.
Holliday: “You get the chance to play for a winning franchise, in a city that loves baseball that would revere him for the next 10 years as their superstar to kind of build their team around.”
What’s most important to Miami though, is who is willing to pay the most substantial sum of that hefty contract of Stanton:
- 2018: $25 million
- 2019: $26 million
- 2020: $26 million
- 2021: $29 million
- 2022: $29 million
- 2023: $32 million
- 2024: $32 million
- 2025: $32 million
- 2026: $29 million
- 2027: $25 million
- 2028: $25 million team option, $10 million buyout
If the St. Louis Cardinals are willing to match or exceed the amount that the San Francisco Giants are willing to pay of Stanton’s contract, the edge will go to the Arch City, who have more to offer the Marlins regarding young talent.
The St. Louis Cardinals also have an ace up their sleeve, in Matt Holliday, who expressed this week that Giancarlo Stanton needs to strongly consider the Redbirds.
"“You got all offseason to live in Miami or LA, or wherever he wants to live, but for six months, man, getting after it as a baseball player in St. Louis, there’s no better place."
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Now, Giancarlo Stanton has an assortment of peculiar injuries, with 2017 being the lone exception.
- 2011 Games Missed: 11 – Right hamstring strain, quadriceps strain
- 2012 Games Missed: 36 – Right knee injury/abdominal strain
- 2013 Games Missed: 44 – Right hamstring strain/left shoulder soreness
- 2014 Games Missed: 17 – HBP/severe facial fracture
- 2015 Games Missed: 92 – Left-hand fracture
- 2016 Games Missed: 43 – Left-hand fracture
However, if Stanton can stay healthy as he did in 2017, he will win more National League MVP awards, in the future, that’s for sure. He will also break that 60 home run mark on multiple occasions as well.
Whoever lands Giancarlo Stanton, whether it be the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, or San Francisco Giants, they are set for the next ten years. However, the team who is lucky enough to land him needs to find a way to bring other pieces around him as well, which may be difficult to do.
Next: Giancarlo Stanton negotiations heat up
The Miami Marlins are in a full position of power, holding all the keys in these trade talks. Whether if these St. Louis Cardinals rumors are true or not, the team may have a better shot at acquiring Giancarlo Stanton than we initially believed.