It's late July and the MLB trade rumor mill is churning. After a report emerged the Yankees were looking into Rangers ace Yu Darvish, the next whisper blew that potential acquisition out of the water.
Via Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports comes the lord of all trade rumors ...
Can anyone imagine a lineup with both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in it?
Apparently the New York Yankees can, because sources with ties to the Miami Marlins say the Yankees were one of the teams to check in regarding the status of Stanton, the great slugger whose mega contract is quite likely too big for the Miami franchise.
Like the man says: Imagine, if you will, a Yankee lineup that includes both of those sluggers in it. Suffice it to say, that would be quite a draw and quite a challenge for opposing moundsman.
Stanton, 27, is enjoying an excellent season thus far in 2017, as he's batting .276/.362/.588 with 30 home runs. As Heyman notes, though, the rub with Stanton is his contract. He's presently in the third year of a record 13-year, $325 million contract. That deal includes an opt-out after the 2020 season. Given that Stanton's contract is heavily backloaded -- he's owed more than $200 million after 2020 -- any team that acquires him would be assuming a great deal of risk.
The Yankees, with their vast coffers, are one of the teams that could assume such obligations, but it might compromise their big plans for the winter of 2018-19, when talents like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado hit the market.
Given the breadth of the investment in Stanton, it's probably a long shot that he's ever traded. The Yankees, though, have the wherewithal to make such a blockbuster happen. If it did, then they could start selling separate tickets to batting practice.
