Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton a Pirate? It almost happened

The Miami Marlins did well to hold on to a young outfielder named Mike Stanton.  A look at the trade that nearly sent him to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 2008, the Florida Marlins were making a push for the playoffs and were trying to make a splash at the trade deadline. Manny Ramirez had fallen out of favor with the Red Sox and they were looking to move the aging superstar.

The Red Sox were firm on making Pittsburgh Pirates star Jason Bay their new left fielder. Teams interested in Ramirez had to put together a package to entice the Pirates to pry away Jason Bay.

The Marlins worked busily behind the scenes to do just that.

What was the hold up?

The Marlins were putting together a package that centered around Jeremy Hermida and pitching prospect Ryan Tucker. But after scouting the Marlins farm system, the Pirates were interested in an 18 year old outfielder. He was a second round pick who went by the name of Mike Stanton.

The Marlins were in the thick of the National League East race and were searching for a big bat to anchor the middle batting order. As 4PM approached, it seemed as if the Marlins were pulling themselves out of the running. The deadline passed and reports surfaced that the Marlins were reluctant to deal Stanton as part of the package with Hermida and Tucker.

“Mike” Stanton was destroying baseballs in the minor leagues, and was starting to look like a can’t miss prospect. He was still a few years away from his Major League debut, but the Marlins saw tools that could make him a special players.

Its hard to believe he almost debuted in a Pittsburgh Pirates jersey, and not a Florida (Miami) Marlins one.

What Marlins fans almost missed out on

Nine years,  260 home runs, one name change, one Home Run Derby Crown, and one broken scoreboard later, Giancarlo Stanton has become the face of the Miami Marlins and is having an MVP caliber season.

He’s chasing Roger Maris‘ single season home run record. As a Marlins fan, I can’t help but hope to see Giancarlo in a Marlins uniform for many years to come. To think, it all might not have happened if the Marlins pulled the trigger and acquired Manny Ramirez.

Next: Giancarlo Stanton won't hit no. 2 next season

Try to imagine the Pirates with an outfield consisting of Giancarlo Stanton and Andrew McCutchen for the past 8 seasons. They would have broken their World Series drought stemming back to 1979.