Giancarlo Stanton: Front Office Doubtful About Extension

Yet again, a discussion has sparked today centering around the Marlins best positional player, Giancarlo Stanton. This time it is courtesy of Jon Heyman at CBS Sports who is reporting that some in the Marlins’ front office do not believe that they will be able to sign Stanton to a long-term deal.

The Marlins are said to be intent on making a “legitimate” attempt this winter to lock up superstar outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, according to sources, but word is some within the organization are still less than optimistic they’ll be able to sign Stanton to a long-term deal anytime soon.

The “will he or won’t he leave” saga seems to be the popular thing around baseball these days. Heyman mentions that the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox are two teams that have expressed interest in the 24-year-old slugger.

I have been saying this for a while now. I will be shocked if Stanton signs a significant contract extension with the Fish. Giancarlo is in a better position than most players are to negotiate a blockbuster deal. If I was his agent, I would be telling him that if he hit the open market he could easily get a 5 year contract as one of the highest paid outfielders in the game. There is virtually no way that the Marlins will pony up that sort of money in an extension. Stanton will likely cost almost half of what the entire Marlins payroll is this season. That is a lot of cheddar for Jeffrey Loria to give to one player, even if he is a star.

I understand that there is no use crying over spilled milk, but the Marlins had a perfect opportunity to re-sign him at a bargain and completely missed it. Two summers ago they went on a spending spree signing high-priced free agents. They should have found time in their busy schedule to offer a team-favorable contract to a player still playing for almost nothing compared to what he will be making. By offering him more up front, they could have saved more on the back-end, and possibly kept the talented outfielder another few years.

But alas, they missed that opportunity, and now they will likely lose out on one of the most talented players to wear a Marlins uniform. Miami will certainly get a significant haul for Stanton via trade this winter, but it is disappointing that they lacked the foresight to sign him long-term at an earlier age.