Are the Mets and Marlins Talking About Giancarlo Stanton?

Right after we watched the Miami Marlins engage in just their latest fire sale in November, we all wondered briefly whether or not Giancarlo Stanton would also be a part of this teardown. Even though he was not happy to see Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, John Buck, and Emilio Bonifacio get shipped north of the border to the Toronto Blue Jays, front office executives publicly said Stanton wasn’t going anywhere. It seemed very bleak, but I still wrote an article day dreaming about how awesome it’d be if the Mets could acquire him without giving up their impact prospects. However, I saw an article on Roto Experts that could be very interesting, or very scary, depending on which side you’re opinion lies.

When I first saw the article titled, “Giancarlo Stanton Blockbuster Trade with NY Mets in the Works?” I thought it was a sick joke to get my hopes up. However, as I continued to read through the article, it became clear that the source for this story was legitimate and these talks actually did take place. I started to get a little giddy; what was the one thing Sandy Alderson wasn’t able to accomplish this winter? Get a right-handed hitting power outfielder.

Feb 23, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) puts the ball in play against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The Marlins defeated the Cardinals 8-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

I mean, I would have been cool with someone like Josh Willingham, but Giancarlo Stanton? This is a guy who led the MLB with a .608 slugging percentage and hit 37 homers in only 123 games played! He’s only 23-years-old, and the sky is the limit for his potential. He’d need a long-term deal, but on the heels of Fred Wilpon saying there are no financial limitations for the organization moving forward, that shouldn’t be a problem. So, here I am, halfway through the article already thinking about Stanton creating a formidable middle of the order with Ike Davis and David Wright. Then, I got to the proposed deal, and my mind changed.

A source from SFX Baseball Group told RotoExperts that the two sides recently discussed a deal that would include sending Juan Pierre and Stanton to New York in exchange for Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud.

“Wait, who and who?” I actually said outloud to myself.

Look, I like to think of myself as a realistic kind of person, so I knew if there was any chance the Mets would be acquiring a talent like Stanton, it would be with one of New York’s top prospects heading out of town. But both? That they’ve recently acquired through signficant trades? The article did calm me down by the end, as Michael Cardano said it’s unlikely this deal happens, but heck, it shook me for a second. I’m all for a trade that would bring a big right-handed bat to the Mets outfield, but not at that price.

This is yet another prime example of the Mets being in a completely different era. If Omar Minaya was still the general manager of the organization, both Wheeler and d’Arnaud would be gone before we could say a word. And that’s because Omar tried every winter to make a splash and bring in big names to put a winner on the field by sacrificing the future. However, Sandy Alderson has said many times he won’t do that.

Were these talks legitimate? For all we know, Sandy put a call in to the Miami front office about Stanton, and the minute they mentioned both Wheeler and d’Arnaud, he hung up the phone immediately. That’s pretty much what he did in the Justin Upton trade talks. Or, he could have engaged in more of a conversation because giving up these players would have meant getting Giancarlo Stanton?

I find it incredibly hard to believe Alderson would give up these two potential cornerstone players (no matter how tempting the return was), especially within the division. It does make you think though, doesn’t it?

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