Miami

Marlins' Stanton Blocks Trades to Cardinals and Giants

Giancarlo Stanton utilized his no-trade clause to block a pair of deals on Friday

Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton used his no-trade clause to block a pair of deals on Friday.

The Marlins had agreed to trades with both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. After a few days of deliberations, Stanton elected to veto both trades. Stanton met with both clubs but ultimately decided to wait for a different suitor.

While Stanton has not publicly stated a desire for his next location, it has been reported that his wish list includes the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros. It is possible Stanton could accept a trade to another team, but the Marlins may begin to look in another direction now.

Holding onto Stanton for the 2018 season is a possibility for Miami, but was clearly not the team's first choice. If Stanton stays, the Marlins will need to move salary away in other areas instead. Marcell Ozuna, who was expected to remain with the team, could end up on the trading block now instead. Ozuna's salary is lower than Stanton's and he should bring back a better package of prospects.

CEO Derek Jeter has been relatively quiet with his plans for the team, but the Stanton talks show his intent. Stanton captured the Most Valuable Player award, but his $295 million contract is weighing on a franchise with money issues. After moving Dee Gordon's salary on Thursday, Jeter has more work to do in order to bring the payroll under $100 million. The team has not publicly announced a payroll expectation for the 2018 season.

Major League Baseball's winter meetings could give Jeter a chance to work on other trades. The meetings often set the foundation for significant movement around the league. With every general manager and most owners in one building, talks can happen all day and all night. Besides Ozuna, Miami could look to trade players such as Brad Ziegler and Martin Prado. Those two veterans may be more difficult to move, due to their lack of performance in 2017.

The Winter Meetings will be held in Orlando beginning on Monday.

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