The Miami Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton have agreed to a new 13-year, $325 million contract extension, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The deal includes a full no-trade and opt-out clause that kicks in after Stanton turns 30 years old.
November 13
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the Miami Marlins are looking to offer Giancarlo Stanton a record breaking deal for professional sports that would pay the slugger at least $300 million over the next decade.
A 10-year contract would cover Stanton’s final two years of arbitration and eight years of free agency, keeping the outfielder under club control through age 34.
The Marlins have also decided to shelve their strict policy against no-trade-clauses, citing that Stanton is a special player and someone you make exceptions for.
The paycheck alone would make this deal seem like a slam dunk, but there’s more to the storyline here than just the financial benefits. Is it possible that Stanton will be locked up through the prime of his career by the end of this offseason?
I’m not sold on it. Stanton was the last man standing after ownership dismantled the team back in 2012 and he remembers Jose Reyes being encouraged to purchase a home close to the stadium only to be traded to Toronto shortly after. Stanton wants to win a championship, players of his caliber want professional glory, not just the dollars. It’s reasonable to assume that the 25 year old phenom may question whether Miami will remain committed to building a contender or be stuck in a perpetual phase of rebuilding.
Honestly, this is big, If Stanton doesn’t sign with the team it’s a clear indication that he wants out and teams around the league will start scrambling to assemble trade packages for his services. The Marlins may react quickly to move him for a clean sweep of another organizations top prospects and in a flash we may find Giancarlo on a whole new team.
Either way, Miami is in a great position. If they sign Stanton, they’ll have the best hitter in baseball for at least the rest of this decade. If they trade him, the return will likely include the top 5-6 prospects from his new team and anyone worth bartering with will have serious trade chips.
Regardless, the Mets are likely out of any conversation should Stanton become available, especially after the recent signing of Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson signed through 2017. But it will still be interesting to see if this turns into a frenzy or if he actually stays put for good.
Incidentally, Stanton finished second in the MVP voting tonight behind winner Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.
