A speculative look at some prospects teams interested in Stanton might offer.
As the information leaked about the Miami Marlin's trade conversations with the Houston Astros last season about Giancarlo Stanton, my mind started to wander about just what exactly could Miami get for a player of Stanton's caliber. Superstars get traded all the time, but few are as young and as talented as Stanton when they are dealt. Let me preface this post by saying under no circumstances do I think the Miami Marlins should trade Giancarlo Stanton.
I just enjoy talking prospects (even those on other teams) and a little speculation never hurt anybody. The Marlins have been adamant that he is not on the market, and I expect that will stay the case through at least the rest of this season. He is still only 24, under club control until 2017, and one of the best power hitters in baseball. There is no reason to trade Stanton as the likelihood of contention next season is still high with the return of a healthy Jose Fernandez, another year of development for Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, a full season of Andrew Heaney, and any other upgrades they choose to make this offseason.
However, if the Marlins fall completely contention there is always the possibility that the front office entertains the idea of trading Stanton. Contenders around the MLB will be clamoring for help come the trade deadline, and Stanton is about as valuable as an asset gets. Accepting an enormous haul for him might be tempting. I have compiled a list of three teams who may be interested in acquiring Stanton, and whether or not the prospects in their system that would make the idea worth considering.
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox would love to add Stanton to their currently punch-less outfield. Their farm system is also loaded with guys the Marlins would be interested in. A package centered on Mookie Betts, Matt Barnes,Garin Cecchini and Blake Swihart might get Miami listening. Betts would fill the second base void currently and for the long term, and Matt Barnes is a near major league ready pitcher who projects as a middle of the rotation starter. Cecchini would provide internal competition at third base for Colin Moran, and Zach Cox. Cecchini might even be good enough defensively to move Moran to first base. Swihart is an offensively talented catching prospect who would be the heir apparent to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, or at least provide options other than J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Skipworth. Boston might be hesitant to add so many top tier prospects into a deal, but if they rolled out this offer it would be a very tempting proposal.
Toronto Blue Jays: Pairing Stanton in the outfield with Jose Bautista is a terrifying thought for the rest of the American League, but the Blue Jays salivate at the notion. Toronto is stocked with elite pitching prospects during a time when Miami would likely prefer position players. Players like Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, and Daniel Norris are top pitching prospects, but the organization does not have enough top caliber position players to offer a deal Miami would realistically consider.
Texas Rangers: The Rangers currently have a mediocre farm system with Joey Gallo, Jorge Alfaro, and Rougned Odor being the only players Miami would likely consider in any kind of Stanton deal. Odor is a low ceiling second basemen that could step into the Marlins starting lineup instantly. He is a solid defensive player and should hit for decent average with limited power. In fact, Odor is already making a small impact in the big leagues at age 20, he is currently hitting .263 in 144 plate appearances with the Rangers. Alfaro is one of the highest rated catching prospects in baseball currently, but the most interesting piece is Gallo. Gallo is a high strikeout, mammoth power hitter who could either become the next great power hitter in baseball or flame out in Triple A if he doesn't make enough contact. He is the definition of a high risk, high reward player. So far this season Gallo has hit 30 home runs between A ball and Double-A; he certainly has Stanton-esque raw power. His nine home runs in only 21 games since being called up to Double-A is already tied for the Texas League lead. This package would be overwhelming, but still not enough to pry away Stanton.
As I said before, I don't expect Miami to consider trading Stanton this season, but I would be shocked if one or more of these teams don't make them an offer involving some of the players mentioned here. The only package that would be too great to pass up is if the Red Sox decided to offer all of the prospects listed above. The quality and quantity of that package would be very impressive. Even then, sending away a superstar and fan favorite in his age 24 season would be even harder to do. What do you readers think? Is there any package of players out there you would find acceptable for Stanton? Are you mad at me for writing such a random and hypothetical post? Let us know in the comments!