Accept a trade, or suffer through a rebuild.
That’s the near-ultimatum the Miami Marlins have reportedly given to Giancarlo Stanton, who possesses a full no-trade clause in his contract.
A report published Tuesday by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald indicates that the Marlins have told Stanton if he is unwilling to accept a trade, the organization is prepared to ship off other top players and begin a rebuilding process.
The Marlins have a fantastic young core of players either in or entering their prime that includes left fielder Marcell Ozuna, center fielder Christian Yelich and second baseman Dee Gordon, and Miami is reportedly interested in shedding a significant portion of its payroll this offseason. Stanton is believed to be the first player Miami wants to move, largely because the Marlins’ right fielder has 10 years and $295 million left on the richest contract in baseball history.
To a certain degree, Stanton’s no-trade clause means he controls his own future, but the Marlins’ slugger has also said he’s not interested in suffering through another rebuild. The Giants are considered Stanton’s top suitor by many plugged-in reporters, but it’s unclear whether Stanton would accept a trade to San Francisco given that the Los Angeles Dodgers are likely the Southern California native’s top option.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Dodgers are unlikely to budge on their unwillingness to assume a large portion of Stanton’s contract, which means the Marlins could have to find another team that Stanton would be willing to accept a trade to.
Spencer’s report in the Miami Herald said the Marlins are attempting to reduce their payroll to $90 million in 2018, and that trading Stanton, Gordon and infielder Martin Prado would help the franchise accomplish this goal.