The San Francisco Giants swung for the fences, but ultimately, they came up short.
On Friday afternoon, the team issued a statement announcing that it was moving on from pursuing a trade for Miami Marlins’ slugger Giancarlo Stanton after weeks of attempting to work out a deal. Earlier this week, Giants’ general manager Bobby Evans told KNBR that San Francisco had agreed to the terms of a trade with the Marlins that would send Stanton to San Francisco, but on Friday, the team conceded that it could not convince Stanton to waive his full no-trade clause and would begin pursuing alternative options.
Earlier in the day, the St. Louis Cardinals issued a similar statement, announcing that they too had failed to convince Stanton to agree to a deal.
The Giants are now tasked with resorting to a plan B, and the team has already reportedly expressed interest in several other outfield options including Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates and free agent J.D. Martinez.
Stanton has 10 years and $295 million remaining on the richest contract in baseball history, and his full no-trade clause will allow him the freedom to dictate future opportunities, potentially with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that has long been considered Stanton’s preferred destination. The 2017 National League MVP hit 59 home runs and drove in 132 runs this season, but the Dodgers reportedly have concerns about Stanton’s contract and its impact on how it would impact their payroll into the future.