Marlins rumors: Giancarlo Stanton trade extremely unlikely

While there has been talk of the Miami Marlins continuing their house cleaning by shipping out slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from sources who say the chances of a deal involving the highly-coveted outfielder taking place this offseason are "as close to zero as they can be."

Lots of interest in #Marlins’ Stanton, but sources all but rule out a deal. One source says chances are "as close to zero as they can be." — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 2, 2013

Not surprisingly, Rosenthal reports that there has been significant interest expressed in Stanton this winter. The Marlins said they would be willing to listen to offers on the slugger, but a deal wasn’t expected to take place.

Still, a trade could be in Stanton’s future. The outfielder is not expected to sign a contract extension with the club beyond the 2016 season, when he is eligible to hit the free agent market. If they’re unable to hang onto Stanton long-term, Miami could opt to deal him for prospects as they’ve done in the past with other players.

Last season Stanton hit .290/.361/.608 with 30 doubles and 37 home runs over 449 at-bats for the Marlins. The 23-year-old owns a career line of .270/.350/.553 over three seasons at the major league level.