Marlins President On Giancarlo Stanton: We ‘Have To Have Him Signed’
It’s been a similar refrain since the beginning of the offseason for the Marlins in regards to their star outfielder. Yet that hasn’t stopped a number of teams — including the Boston Red Sox — from inquiring multiple times about Stanton’s availability.
So when Marlins president Michael Hill spoke to reporters Tuesday at MLB’s GM meetings in Arizona, he decided to reiterate the message one more time.
“I’ve been out in front of this since last offseason that we weren’t trading him, that we’re trying to build with him,” Hill said, via CSSNE.com. “I think that message has been received, and he’s a Miami Marlin.
“… Nobody’s coming at us (with trade offers). We tried to squash that last offseason and our peers have respected that and have taken us at our word, and that’s what it is.”
Stanton, who’s eligible for free agency after the 2016 season, currently is in preliminary contract extension talks with the Marlins. While the potential length and terms of the deal remain in question, getting something worked out appears to be Miami’s top offseason priority.
“We have to have him signed,” Hill added. “It can’t go on indefinitely. If we can’t agree on a multiyear, he’ll have to be assigned a one-year salary. But we haven’t put a timeline on it, no deadlines. We’ll continue dialogue and hopefully we can get to something that works for both of us.”
Either way, it appears the record finally has been set straight on Stanton’s availability. That is, until the next trade inquiry comes in.
Photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
