NEWSLETTER
According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman, the Miami Marlins are talking to star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton about an extension that would break records: at least 10 years, and at least $300 million.
Stanton, who just turned 25 and finished second in NL MVP voting, is under control for two more years of arbitration, and is expected to make about $13 million in 2015. This kind of deal would be heck of a raise. It doesn’t necessarily sound like a deal is close, but it’s being discussed, and the Marlins may be willing to include no-trade protection.
I want to see a star player rewarded for his performance and potential, so, in that regard, I have no problem if Stanton inks this kind of deal with the Marlins. That said … I hope he doesn’t. Part of that is purely out of the desire to watch the craziness of a trade rumor season (either later this offseason, the Trade Deadline, or next offseason) unfold with Stanton at the center. And then to maybe, hopefully, watch a Stanton free agency. It could be like the Clayton Kershaw free agency we never got. Whether the Cubs would be involved or not, I just love the pageantry.
The other reason I don’t really want to see Stanton extend with the Marlins is because I’m relatively suspicious of what they’re pulling here. After years of slash and burn, a stadium boondoggle (far worse than any other, and far worse than any funding the Cubs were seeking (which, by the way, didn’t exactly help the Cubs)), and then crap they pulled with Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle, I don’t see the angle where they’re suddenly going to commit $300+ million to Stanton with no strings and no ulterior motive. Maybe that’s unfair, but, at this point, the onus on the Marlins to prove folks wrong.
We’ll see if this goes down, and if the deal is perversely backloaded without a no-trade clause. If it’s a legit offer, and if Stanton feels comfortable, though … how could he turn this down, right? That’s so, so much guaranteed money. And as we saw with the pitch that ended his season last year, every player is constantly perilously close to the end of his career.
