There have been several reports that the Marlins are not shopping star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, but the team "is willing to listen" to any offers.
Baseball News Source website wrote an article on that subject, and defined potential suitors for Stanton down to five teams, including the Cubs.
So why is Stanton so important? Some consider him the next Albert Pujols. He is only 23 years old, and under a team's control for the next four seasons.
And his production has been outstanding. Last season, in 501 PA he hit .290, 37 HR, 86 RBI, 6 SB, .361 OBP, .604 SLG, and 5.4 WAR. For his short three seasons, he has a career .270 BA, 93 HR, 232 RBI, 16 SB, .350 OBP, .553 SLG and 9.0 WAR. You can plug him into right field and he will produce offense. He is a below average right fielder.
So any team should be willing to cut off their left arm to acquire a young All-Star talent.
So the author of the BNS article thought the Cubs could put together a reasonable package to acquire Stanton.
First, with the long term deal for Starlin Castro, top infield prospect Javier Baez could be tempting trade bait. Baez, age 20, absolutely mashed in the Minors during 2012.
Between Single-A and Advanced-A, the right-handed hitter posted a
combined .294/.346/.543 line with 16 HR, 46 RBI, 50 R, and 24 SB in jut
321 PA’s.
Second, the Cubs would need to send a top prospect outfielder in the deal. It could be either Jorge Soler or Albert Almora. Since Soler is closer to the big leagues, one would think Almora would be the choice. The 18 year-old Almora, who is from Florida, was the Cubs sixth overall pick from the 2012
draft, and immediately impressed the franchise with a .321/.331/.464
line in 145 PA’s in the low minors.
Third, since the Cubs have found their long term solution at first base in Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs will have no place for power hitting 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach. The 20 year-old Vogelbach enjoyed one of the most impressive Minor League seasons out there. Between Rookie-Ball and Single-A (Short-Season), the left-handed
hitter sported a .322/.410/.641 line with 17 HR, 62 RBI, and 39 R. With
his OPS at 1.051, you have to be excited about this guy’s future as a
hitter.
So the author concludes that a package that contains Baez, Almora and Vogelbach could land a current start in Stanton. I think it would cost even more than that; the Marlins would also try to pry away at least two top pitching prospects to sweeten the deal. The Cubs list Trey McNutt as their #8 prospect and Pierce Johnson #10.
For any franchise, this would be a once in a lifetime type of trade. However, Stanton may be so valuable that in the end the Marlins will keep him until his 2017 free agency year.
