St. Louis Cardinals Pursuing Marlins Slugger Giancarlo Stanton
With a new ownership group running the organization, the Miami Marlins are expected to go through yet another rebuild this offseason as they continue to get some of the bigger contracts off the books.
However, star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has already made it known that he's not interested in a rebuild, so that's going to be a problem. The Marlins still haven't decided on what to do with their franchise player, but they will have to seriously consider moving him this winter because his trade value has never been higher.
Stanton will have a lot of suitors if he's available, that much is clear. And according to FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, the St. Louis Cardinals are among the "most aggressive" pursuers of the four-time All-Star.
"They have a need for a middle-of-the-order bat, and importantly, the perfect mix of prospects to make a deal. They even have talented young pitchers the Marlins need, with Alex Reyes (who may be untouchable), plus Jack Flaherty, Luke Weaver and Sandy Alcantara, who really opened people's eyes this year," Heyman said of the Cardinals.
"The Cardinals have made clear publicly that a middle-of-the-order bat is a prime need. Stanton has said how much he wants to win, and the Cardinals are competitive, at the very least, every year, and people don't believe he is just blowing smoke," he continued.
Of course, acquiring Stanton will not be easy since he has a full no-trade clause. Still, the Cardinals are an attractive destination because they already have a competitive squad.
It should be noted that the team will also have to give up some of their top prospects if they want to land him, but he may be worth the risk.
Stanton is a generational talent at the plate and he finished the 2017 campaign just one home run shy of 60. His 0.281/0.376/0.631 slash line is impressive as well and he also has 132 runs batted in this season.
