MLB Trade Rumors: Will Giancarlo Stanton Be in the Middle of the St. Louis Cardinals' Lineup Next Season?
Cardinals will reportedly talk to the Miami Marlins about a potential Stanton trade
Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is coming off one of the great regular season runs in Major League Baseball history, blasting a total of 59 homeruns and establishing himself as one of the game's most fearsome hitters.
Simply put, Stanton is a superstar - the kind almost any team would want to have anchoring the middle of their lineup. However, for a while now, it seems that there is at least one franchise who is not so keen on having the slugger.
Oddly enough, the team in question may very well be the Marlins, as rumors have been hinting for quite some time now that the franchise may be looking to deal their star hitter this offseason.
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It seems counterintuitive for any team to want to trade a player who is clearly among the game's best, but the Marlins - who are reportedly looking for a fresh start - may have a good reason for wanting to do so.
Currently, Stanton's massive contract is taking up a sizable chunk of the payroll. For a team desperately in need of upgrades up and down the roster, having so much money going to a single player may not be ideal.
Trading Stanton may not end up being a popular move, but if the franchise really wants to start from scratch, that may then be something that has to be done.
If the Marlins really are determined to move Stanton, it may not be difficult for them to find a trade partner.
According to a recent article from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Cardinals will be going to the Marlins to discuss a potential trade involving Stanton this offseason.
Of course, discussing a trade and executing one are entirely different things, but there are reasons to believe that the Cardinals' decision-makers could pull this off.
For instance, the Marlins are widely expected to seek top prospects in exchange for Stanton. If that is the case, the Cardinals could then put together a package made up of players who are considered among the best in the Minor Leagues.
The Cardinals could feature right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty and outfielder Tyler O'Neill as headlining pieces in a trade package for Stanton. The two are among the game's top 100 prospects, as seen on MLB.com, so having both of them included in a trade offer could get the Marlins interested.
If Flaherty and O'Neill are not enough to get the Marlins to agree to a deal, then perhaps catching prospect Carson Kelly could be discussed as well.
The Cardinals certainly have the pieces needed to present the Marlins with a deal for Stanton they cannot refuse. As the offseason unfolds, this situation involving Stanton, the Marlins and the Cardinals is something baseball fans will want to monitor.
More news about the latest MLB trade rumors should be made available soon.
