After months of speculation that they’d pursue the NL MVP, the San Francisco Giants have made an official trade offer for Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal writes that the Red Sox and Cardinals have also made bids for Stanton, but it has been reported elsewhere that Stanton, who has a no-trade clause, is not willing to go to either of those destinations.
According to Rosenthal the Giants are willing to pick up a sizable amount of the $285 million remaining on Stanton’s contract that is guaranteed through 2027. It is unclear at this point who the Giants are willing to send to Miami in exchange for Stanton.
The San Francisco Giants have made a proposal to the Miami Marlins for Stanton, and the Marlins expect to receive or have received bids from the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox as well, according to major league sources.
The Giants are willing to pick up a sizable amount of Stanton’s contract, one source said. Such a deal, however, would exacerbate the team’s luxury-tax concerns, likely resulting in the trade of at least one high-priced veteran, perhaps as part of a package going to the Marlins, perhaps to other clubs.
Of the Giants’ leading trade candidates, right-hander Johnny Cueto is the only one who lacks significant no-trade protection. Cueto, in his discussions with the Giants before deciding not to opt out of his contract, asked them to pick up his $22 million option for 2022 and briefly raised the possibility of negotiating a no-trade clause, sources said. The Giants balked at both requests, but Cueto, coming off a disappointing season, stayed with the club anyway. He is owed $89 million, including a $5 million buyout for ‘22, and would receive a $500,000 assignment bonus if traded.
Right-hander Jeff Samardzija, owed $54 million over the next three years, is far less likely to be traded—he said in July he would not allow the Giants to move him to one of the 21 clubs on his no-trade list, which at that time included the Marlins. Closer Mark Melancon, owed $38 million over the next three years plus a portion of the $8 million he deferred in his signing bonus, has a full no-trade clause, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. First baseman Brandon Belt, owed $64 million over the next four years, can block trades to 10 clubs, according to Cot’s, but the identities of the teams are not known.
The Giants have been considered by many to be the favorites to land Stanton on the assumption that his hometown Dodgers were unwilling to take on his massive contract, as it’s also been reported that LA would be the outfielder’s first choice. A report on Tuesday from Mark Feinstand of MLB Network, however, said that the Dodgers are now in the mix, possibly making the Giants odds of landing Stanton more of a long shot.
