On Tuesday morning, the Boston Herald reported that Giancarlo Stanton would not accept a trade to either the Red Sox or Cardinals, seemingly increasing the likelihood that the slugger could become a member of the Giants this offseason. On Tuesday afternoon, however, another report surfaced that, if true, would weaken the Giants’ position considerably.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is reporting that the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite earlier reports to the contrary, are “in the mix” when it comes to trading for Stanton.
The Dodgers are indeed in the mix for Giancarlo Stanton, according to a source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 14, 2017
It was originally reported by Bob Nightengale of MLB Network that the Dodgers had “no interest” despite being the Southern California native Stanton’s preferred destination. The belief was that Los Angeles did not want to take on a significant portion of Stanton’s massive $285 contract, and that the club is in fact trying to cut payroll. Assuming that was the case, Nightengale reported that the Giants were the de facto favorites to acquire the slugger, but Tuesday’s report has thrown a giant wrench into that narrative.
Here’s what Nightengale said on KNBR three weeks ago:
“The Dodgers have no interest. They are trying to cut payroll and everything else. He’s not going to the Dodgers, there’s no chance of that happening, so I think it’s either San Francisco, St. Louis or Philadelphia, and San Francisco is easily his first choice.”