There are changes coming to the Miami Marlins. Substantial ones that could shake up the future of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
It has been reported that new Marlins owners Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter plan to cut the team’s 2018 payroll to around $90 million.To put things into context, the Marlins’ payroll was $115 million this past season and was projected to go up to $140M in 2018. This season’s figure was already a franchise record, but the results were not coming for Miami. So some of their best players are likely to leave the club in order to start a rebuilding process centered in one or two big names.
A potential trade involving Giancarlo Stanton and the $295 million remaining on his contract looks quite possible. And there is no doubt several franchises could use the slugger who hit 59 home runs this past season. Here are three teams that should be among the most active ones trying to trade for the star slugger during the offseason.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox won the AL East the past two seasons. However, the team was eliminated on the ALDS in both years. This season their lack of power was alarming, as they finished dead last in the American League in home runs with 168. They struggled to replace David Ortiz’s production, and it was clear they need to add power to their lineup as soon as possible.
And what better source for power than Stanton? He fell one HR short of 60, and he is entering his prime years. The contract might be a burden, but Stanton can easily be extremely productive for at least four or five more years. He would align perfectly with the team’s window contention. And as if that was not enough, they have enough prospects to entice Miami to make a trade.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason this year after finishing third in the NL Central with an 83-79 mark. That is simply not good enough for a team that used to be the dominant force in the Division only a few years ago. They lost much of their momentum due to the emergence of the Chicago Cubs, and the young talent of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers could lead the Cards to become the fourth-best team in the NL Central as soon as next season. They need to do something.
St. Louis has lots of interesting players on their roster, but they need a power bat to anchor their lineup for the foreseeable future. Stanton fits the mold, and St. Louis can easily increase their payroll to make room for the slugger. They might not have many prospects, but feature several MLB-ready young players that could sweeten the pot for the Marlins to make a deal. They are a darkhorse team to watch in case Stanton stays in the NL.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are the team with the lesser chances of acquiring Stanton, at least among the ones of this list. The Giants were a massive disappointment in 2017. In fact, they were pretty close to finish the year with the worst record in the majors if not for a walk-off home run from Pablo Sandoval in the final game of the season. That’s quite a change considering the team made it to the NLDS in 2016.
San Francisco has always needed a power bat in their lineup. They have an interesting team with names such as Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and – hopefully – Pablo Sandoval, but they lack outfielders and a power bat. Stanton would check all the boxes for them.