MLB hot stove: Giancarlo Stanton would OK trade to Yankees?

The temperature of baseball's winter hot stove has been relatively low thus far due to the Miami Marlins' ongoing quandary on whether to trade behemoth slugger Giancarlo Stanton. But it appears the 28-year-old outfielder is comfortable with approving a blockbuster deal -- just as long as a few select clubs are inclined.

In two recent reports from The Athletic's insider Ken Rosenthal and SiriusXM radio host Craig Mish, Stanton is reportedly unwilling to sign off on a trade to the San Francisco Giants or St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, he's supposedly open to joining one of four teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and... the Yankees. 

SiriusXM host and former major league general manager Jim Bowden also shared information on Mish's report Thursday night, tweeting that, "a source close to Giancarlo Stanton has indicated he is inclined to accept a trade to the Dodgers or Yankees under the right circumstances."

Per Rosenthal's report:

The Miami Marlins showed their hand by trading Dee Gordon on Thursday, not that their plan to cut payroll was much of a secret. Gordon, lacking a no-trade clause, could not stop the Marlins from sending him to the Seattle Mariners; nor can he stop the Mariners from moving him from second base to center field. But Giancarlo Stanton, as the Marlins are acutely aware, cannot be pushed around so easily.

Stanton, the reigning National League MVP, holds a full no-trade clause, thanks to the foresight of his agents and the largesse of the Marlins’ previous ownership. The Gordon trade will not alarm Stanton; if anything, it only will harden him. The Marlins’ current ownership had better heed his desire to join the Los Angeles Dodgers or maybe even the New York Yankees, or their efforts to move him will continue to go nowhere.

Although the image of Stanton hitting alongside American League MVP runner-up Aaron Judge in The Bronx seems dreamlike, the mystery is what the Yankees would be forced to yield in a deal with Marlins' new chief executive officer, Derek Jeter. 

Stanton, who has a full no-trade clause and a potential opt-out in 2020, comes with a hefty amount of baggage, in terms of money owed. Over the next 10 seasons, Stanton will receive $295 million, which could be a red flag to Yankees' owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman, who have stressed the goal of getting under the luxury tax threshold by next winter. In 2019, big ticket items like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado will be part of a potentially historic free-agent class, and the Yankees are expected to be bidders.

But, it's not all about money. For a player of Stanton's caliber, a deal would have to include more than dollars and cents. Depending on how much cash the Yankees would undertake, their farm system would also take a hit, in some manner. According to another report from Mish, the Giants made an offer for Stanton earlier this week, and in a package deal, San Francisco reportedly included three of its top-four prospects, per MLBPipeline's rankings. Based on an offer like this, the cost for Stanton may force the Yankees to part ways with baseball's top prospect Gleyber Torres, and perhaps one or two other top-five farmhands like Clint Frazier, Estevan Florial, Chance Adams, or Justus Sheffield. 

If the Yankees are determined to stick with their current plan -- which, at the moment seems pretty likely -- making a move for Stanton isn't viable. But, after striking out on the sweepstakes for Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani, perhaps it wouldn't hurt the Yankees to inquire about one of baseball's brightest stars. 

If you want to connect with Tom Hanslin, email him at thanslin@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @tomhanslin.