We might never know whether Giancarlo Stanton would have accepted a trade to the Boston Red Sox.
According to Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe, the Red Sox never were presented as a possible trade destination for the All-Star outfielder during the Miami Marlins’ negotiations.
Stanton, of course, waived his no-trade clause to join the New York Yankees, who officially introduced him Monday during a news conference at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla.
This seemingly would explain why the Red Sox weren’t really linked to Stanton during his final days with the Marlins. It’s somewhat surprising, though, as Boston could use a power bat after hitting an American League-low 168 home runs in 2017.
The Red Sox obviously have a talented outfield comprised of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. But Stanton is a legitimate superstar coming off a National League MVP campaign in which he launched 59 home runs. Boston also has an opening at designated hitter, assuming Hanley Ramirez can transition back to first base on a full-time basis.
The Yankees didn’t need to relinquish any of their top prospects to land Stanton, as the trade was more about the Marlins clearing salary under their new ownership. As such, it’s fair to wonder if the Red Sox simply didn’t want to take on the bulk of Stanton’s contract — the Yankees reportedly are assuming $265 million — or just weren’t sold on the player.
In any event, Stanton will be with the Yankees for the foreseeable future. And the Red Sox will be forced to deal with him quite frequently in the AL East after apparently opting to direct their attention elsewhere while the Marlins shopped around the 2017 home run king.
