MLB Trade Rumors: Will the Pirates be suitors for Giancarlo Stanton?
By Matt Shetler
First of all, the Pirates would be giving up too much of their future. It has taken this long for the future to look as bright as it is and it would be very risky to part with any of it.
Jun 21, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) makes a running catch against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at AT
The plan has always been to build a super rotation of young power arms and it makes little sense to abandon that plan now, especially since Pirates fans just got a glimpse of what Gerrit Cole can do.
Cole and Taillon were always viewed as the 1-2 punch of the future and I just don’t know if it is worth parting with that for the future. Since I mentioned Kingham earlier, some scouts suggest he has an even bigger upside than Taillon, which makes parting with him awfully hard.
Sanchez is a guy the Pirates like a lot, but would be easier to move. Russell Martin is signed for next season and drafting Reese McGuire in the first round this year would suggest he is the long-term catcher of the future, even if that future may be three or four years away.
Finally there is Polanco and he may be the guy that would be the hardest to part with. Some scouts say he is the Pirates best home-grown prospect since Barry Bonds and it would be a shame to get rid of him.
But I have said all of that and I’m just now getting to the biggest obstacle in acquiring Stanton.
As it always is with teams like the Pirates, money will play a big issue in any potential deal,
Sure Stanton only makes a little over $500K this season, but what happens when he hit arbitration? The Bucs will be forced to decide exactly how high they want to go with him and it could ultimately lead to him being dealt for financial reasons before his current contract expires.
Ultimately the decision will come down to what would the Pirates rather have: three and a half years of Stanton or six years of Taillon and the other prospects?
Personally, as much as I would like to see Stanton in a Pirates uniform, there is no way I could pull the trigger for that package.
I simply can’t risk too much of the future. Taillon is a guy who could be in Pittsburgh next season and Polanco isn’t too far behind him. If Huntington could get the Marlins interested in a package that centered around Sanchez and one other top prospect and a few throw-ins, I say go for it.
But as enticing as it may be now and as disappointing as the past trade deadlines have been for the Pirates, a move for Stanton at this cost will be too tough to mortgage the future on.