Report: Marlins Want Three Top Prospects to Give Up Giancarlo Stanton

by Jen Slothower on Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 1:54PM

The Miami Marlins have shed just about every star and serious talent on their roster over the last few months.

That has only made 23-year-old power-hitting Giancarlo Stanton stand out all the more.

While the Marlins have said they now want to rebuild around Stanton and incoming prospects, plenty of teams are hoping Miami will choose to deal the youngster instead. Prospects don’t always pan out, but Stanton has already shown that he’ll be a force in Major League Baseball for years to come. He had a .290 average, 37 home runs and 86 RBIs in 2012.

Gordon Edes of ESPN now reports that the Marlins may be willing to give up Stanton, but the price will be steep. Miami wants three top prospects, according to Edes.

The Red Sox have been rumored to be interested in Stanton, who would obviously be a great fit and long-term option for their outfield needs. But Boston’s strength in offseason maneuvering lies in the free agent market, where it has plenty of money to spend, not in trades, where the club is loathe to give up its prospects. General manager Ben Cherington has said repeatedly that the Red Sox don’t want to trade young players.