Giancarlo Stanton was arguably the biggest prize of the 2017 MLB offseason. A renowned slugger and defensive outfielder under team control for years to come, he hit the trade market in a rare scenario due to the desires of the new Miami Marlins’ ownership to cut the team’s payroll.
Thus, Stanton had his share of suitors, including the San Francisco Giants, who hoped to add Stanton to an outfield whose struggles in the field and at the plate contributed to a 98-loss season in 2017.
Though several reports came out with some details of the Giants’ offers for Stanton, no report contained the full trade proposal. Until now.
FanRag Sports’ Robert Murray reported Monday that the Giants’ offer consisted of left-handed pitcher Andrew Suarez, outfielder Denard Span, and third baseman Jacob Gonzalez. He also noted that the Giants were willing to take on “most, if not all of Stanton’s remaining contract (which is close to $283 million, per Spotrac).”
As was reported at the time, Stanton used his full no-trade clause to veto a trade with the Giants, so the Marlins could not have accepted the offer anyway. Regardless, the details provide an interesting look at exactly what the Giants were willing to part with to add Stanton to their team.
Suarez is a highly-regarded prospect who made his major league debut for the Giants last Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Span would have been mostly a salary dump, as he struggled during the second year of his three-year, $31 million contract signed with the Giants before the 2016 season. Gonzalez was the Giants’ second-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft and finished the 2017 season with only rookie league-level professional experience.
