The Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes are under way, but one interested ballclub already might be out of the running.
The Miami Marlins are open to trading the power-hitting outfielder, but Stanton ultimately controls his fate due to a no-trade clause in his contract. While the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have been rumored to be the most likely destinations for the 28-year-old, a voyage to the Midwest doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
According to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, the Cardinals aren’t as in the mix for Stanton as initial reports might have suggested.
“Several people connected to the Marlins who know Stanton well suggest they have a hard time seeing Stanton, who has a complete no-trade clause, approve a trade to St. Louis, not when there are more geographically desirable alternatives with winning histories in play,” Heyman writes.
The Giants, at present, reportedly are the front-runner for Stanton, as San Francisco allegedly has a trade offer in place that Miami “likely” would accept. The Giants also offer the Los Angeles native and offseason resident an opportunity to remain on the West Coast, which reportedly is a major selling point for Stanton.
“One person said he ‘didn’t see any way’ he’d accept the Cardinals but added the disqualifier that he can’t say he knows for sure,” Heyman writes. “Another opined that he’d ‘100 percent’ take the Giants over the Cardinals if that’s the choice, and yet another suggested the Midwest, behind the most preferred West Coast and East Coast, is his ‘last choice.'”
While a West Coast club appears to be Stanton’s preference, the East Coast reportedly coming in at No. 2 surely is a welcome sign to Boston Red Sox fans.
