Stanton In Pinstripes? Slugger Narrows List To Four Teams, Including Yankees
BOSTON (CBS) -- Could Giancarlo Stanton possibly end up in New York?
The Marlins slugger has reportedly decided on four teams that he would consider accepting a trade to this offseason, with the Yankees and Dodgers at the top. SiriusXM host Craig Mish tweeted on Thursday night that the Astros and Cubs are the other two teams, but aren't as high on the list for Stanton as New York and Los Angeles.
Mish corroborated a previous report by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that the Dodgers and Yankees are the front-runners to land Stanton. He has reportedly expressed interest in playing for a contender in a coastal city. A native of the San Fernando Valley area, the Dodgers have presumably been his first choice all along, but Stanton apparently would not shy away from the massive spotlight he'd assume in the Bronx.
Both the Yankees and Dodgers have enough high-end prospects to send a commensurate package to the Marlins for Stanton, and can also afford to take on most or all of the $295 million remaining on Stanton's contract over the next 10 years.
The Red Sox have indicated publicly that they are not afraid to go over the luxury tax threshold this offseason, but apparently wouldn't do it for Stanton, reportedly showing "tepid" interest and being considered a long shot all along. The Giants and Cardinals have also fallen out of the running after showing interest, but aren't nearly the kind of contenders that Stanton's top-four teams are.
Since Stanton would now approve a trade to the Yankees, it would behoove New York to at least continue to inquire about what it would take to get him. He would certainly complicate Hal Steinbrenner's quest to keep the Yanks under the luxury tax for 2018, but Stanton could be the kind of player to make it worth going over the limit.