As Giancarlo Stanton Watch continues through the weekend, the NL MVP is still a Marlin. But maybe not for much longer.
The Marlins have agreed to general framework of Stanton trades with the Giants and Cardinals, but neither deal can be completed as the Marlins wait to see if Stanton will accept either proposal, according to a Sunday afternoon report from MLB.com's Jon Morosi.
That backed up another report, from ESPN's Buster Olney on Friday, that said MLB would only allow San Francisco and St. Louis executives to meet with Stanton's people if the Marlins said they were closing in on a potential deal.
Stanton has a no-trade clause and must approve any trade he is a part of. Put another way: He has a significant degree of control, and could even choose to stay in Miami. While he has not publicly commented on trade possibilities, before the season ended he stressed his desire to win and said he does not want to be a part of another Marlins rebuild. Stanton has been on losing Marlins teams in all eight of his major league seasons.
Execs from the Giants and Cardinals met in recent days with Stanton's representatives, and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported late Saturday that Stanton himself was present for both meetings.
One source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that a Stanton deal is not expected to be completed Sunday.
The Dodgers, Stanton's hometown team and reportedly his preferred destination, remain on the fringes of this offseason competition for Stanton's services. Morosi said the Marlins and Dodgers have remained in touch about the slugger, but there was been "no substantial progress." Los Angeles, consistently among the highest-spending teams, are hesitant due in part to what Stanton's large salary _ an average annual value of $25 million _ would mean for their efforts to get under baseball's luxury tax threshold.
The Marlins, under the direction of CEO Derek Jeter, are looking to unload Stanton and the $295 million owed to him over the next decade _ among other players _ as the new ownership group reshapes the roster and attempts to get the organization's finances in order.
