A day to digest Giancarlo Stanton trade rumors

On the heels of one of the most incredible offensive runs a Miami Marlins player has ever produced, inevitable trade rumors start to swirl.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. Once the Miami Marlins had a player that was making headlines, it was only a matter of time before someone reported that he would be traded. While there was no specific landing spot identified, news of Stanton clearing waivers whipped everyone into a frenzy.

On Tuesday, Jeff Pasan of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Miami Marlins slugger had cleared waivers and could be traded by the end of August. In a piece titled “Free Giancarlo Stanton”, he appears to have only cursory knowledge of his subject.

It should go without saying that the Miami Marlins aren’t going to trade Giancarlo Stanton this season.  His massive contract and the pending sale of the team all but guarantee it. They already had a chance to trade him before the deadline, and they didn’t.

At various points, Pasan espouses the same rhetoric that has been funneled through the rumor mill for years. Salary relief, prospects, build the team up from scratch. Blah, blah, blah. Lacking a single original argument in 15 paragraphs of rambling will leave most readers bored.

Not only will the Miami Marlins not trade Giancarlo Stanton this season, I would be surprised if they traded him when new ownership was installed.

Encouraging play suggests the team isn’t nearly as far off as national reports would have you believe. They have pulled within striking distance of .500, and are showing no signs of slowing down. All this without a legitimate starting staff and question marks in their bullpen.

Miami Marlins as a minor league team

The bigger issue it raises is the way the Miami Marlins are viewed nationally. For years, they’ve been at the mercy of an owner who controlled his wallet with an iron grip. Commendable when you’re trying to save up and buy your first car, not so much when running a baseball team.

We are told that will be changing soon. When it does, expect the Miami Marlins to hold on to their stars, rather than ship them off ahead of a payday.

Marlins fans are put in a tough spot. They’ve been treated poorly by the ownership, so they don’t go to games. So the media reports that they’re bad fans. So the ownership doesn’t field a good team. And so the fans don’t go to games. It’s a vicious cycle.

As a result, any commodity that finds its way into a Marlins uniform is deemed best suited to wear a different one. Does anyone really believe the Marlins are going to find a trade partner that will take the whole of Stanton’s contract and offer them a pirates booty return in prospects?

Next: Marlins ownership can't afford to get off on wrong foot

Eventually, the Miami Marlins won’t be viewed as a second-class team in the league. Their wounds are self-inflicted, but fans are believing brighter days are ahead. Free Giancarlo Stanton? He cost us $300 million, and he’ll earn every penny of it in a Miami Marlins uniform.