Marlins rumors: Miami won't offer Giancarlo Stanton extension this year

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told reporters, including Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post, that he doesn't expect the team to offer outfielder Giancarlo Stanton a contract extension this year.

Loria said the team won't make Stanton an offer this year. "I don't think this is the year to go to Giancarlo with an offer. We have to let him play it out, let him feel more comfortable."

While an extension offer doesn't appear to be in the plans for Stanton this year, Loria did say that he views the slugger as a player that will be around for the "foreseeable future."

The Marlins' owner also doesn't hold a grudge against Stanton for the comments he made following the blockbuster trade that sent former teammates Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays. Loria characterized the criticism as "an immediate knee-jerk reaction."

Juan C. Rodriguez of The Florida Sun-Sentinel offers another quote from Loria in which he states that he doesn't believe the winter's fire sale has lessened the team's chances of retaining Stanton beyond 2016, "not even by one percent." Loria is convinced that the team's prospects of extending Stanton are currently the same as they were last year at this time.

While his future in Miami is uncertain, it's clear that Stanton is one of the top young hitters in the game. Last season he posted career numbers, hitting .290/.361/.608 with 30 doubles and 37 home runs over 501 plate appearances. The 23-year-old owns a career batting line of .270/.350/.553.