Bob Nightengale of USA Today and MLB Network said on KNBR two weeks ago that the San Francisco Giants are heavy favorites to land Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton this offseason. With Miami’s new ownership group looking to offload Stanton’s $285 million contract, and the Giants looking to add power to one of the least effective lineups in baseball, the fit seems like it could be ideal.
Nightengale doubled-down on Thursday, tweeting that it would be “stunning” if Stanton was traded to any club that isn’t the Giants or Cardinals this offsason.
It would be a stunning upset if #Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton is traded anywhere besides the #Stlcards or #SFGiants. They each have the money to pull it off, and Cards have loaded farm system, if necessary
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 9, 2017
Here’s what Nightengale had to say a few weeks ago about the prospect of Stanton heading to SF:
“Yeah I still believe they are, and I’d be shocked if they don’t have Stanton or J.D. Martinez playing for them next year,” Nightengale said when asked if the Giants are still the frontrunners to acquire Stanton. “It’s going to be one of those guys for sure. You know they’ve got plenty of money, they don’t have prospects. Obviously if you sign Martinez, it doesn’t cost you any prospects, and same with Stanton. The Marlins want to dump his salary so bad, you’ve just got to eat most of it. Not $285 million worth, but $200 or $225 worth and then give them some fringe prospects, because they just don’t have those top top quality prospects.
“The Dodgers have no interest. They are trying to cut payroll and everything else. He’s not going to the Dodgers, there’s no chance of that happening, so I think it’s either San Francisco, St. Louis or Philadelphia, and San Francisco is easily his first choice.”