MLB trade rumors: Could Phillies be a fit for Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton?

Miami has always been a selling team, but have they become desperate enough to sell their slugger and franchise player? Apparently, says Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. If the time comes and the offer is right, the Marlins could deal Giancarlo Stanton. The other half of that deal sounds like it would be the likes of the Dodgers or Yankees. However, it would be none other than division rival, the Phillies. No, you didn’t just black out. Yes, you read that correctly. The Phillies.

Giancarlo made headlines in 2014 by inking one of the largest contracts a North American sports player has ever seen: a 13-year, $325 million deal with the Marlins that includes a no-trade clause.

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak came to power in 2015, and he was shooting for the stars. Now it seems like he’s regressed. He needs to win back fans’ trust. And he has money. He also has prospects. Those are two things that the Marlins could use some help with.

There are also whispers in the wings that Christian Yelich would be lumped in there with Stanton. The 25-year old is a little more affordable, with a contract of $58.25 million through 2022. Given the performance he’s had in Miami since coming up in 2013 (a respectable slash of .291/.367/.426), that’s a bona fide steal.

Because even if the Marlins win the trade, they still lose. Their fans are just as disenchanted with the front office as Phillies fans are. You could stand in a random corridor of Marlins Park and have dozens of “Yelich” and “Stanton” jersey adorned fans walk past you within minutes. It’s all they have. And when the payout is prospects that have yet to get to the show and prove their worth, putting faith in a system that just sold off your favorite player becomes tough to muster.