Phillies still rumored to be in hunt for Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton

Despite Giancarlo Stanton passing through waivers earlier this month, the Phillies and several other teams still want to trade for the slugging outfielder.

Yes the Giancarlo Stanton rumor mill is heating up once again, and the Phillies are right in the middle of it all.

With the sale of the Miami Marlins complete, one of the biggest hurdles for a potential Stanton trade is out of the way. An in-season trade seems entirely unlikely now with Stanton’s torrid hitting in the second half pushing Miami into the wild-card hunt, but a deal in the offseason could occur.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Philadelphia is one of several teams rumored to be interested in an offseason trade for Stanton:

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"The San Francisco Giants recently called, and privately informed the Miami Marlins of their interest.So have the St. Louis Cardinals. The Texas Rangers. The Philadelphia Phillies didn’t want to be left out, either.They all have one thing in mind.They want Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, and while it’s not realistic now, it could be by the start of the 2018 season."

ESPN insider Buster Olney also listed the Phils as a potential fit for Stanton, second only to the Cardinals:

"They have a ton of payroll flexibility and enough of a stable of prospects to build a trade, and perhaps a greater sense of urgency given the lack of progress in their rebuilding this winter. But for the Marlins’ new owners, dealing Stanton to a division rival may be a tougher sell than if they moved him elsewhere."

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Philadelphia is one of the few potential landing spots for Stanton because they can pay the $280 million that Stanton is owed from 2018 to 2028. However, he would have to approve the trade because he has a no-trade clause in his deal. Stanton can also opt out after 2019, nixing all the resources poured into any potential trade.

However, Stanton can jumpstart Philadelphia’s offense instantly. He is in the midst of a career season with 50 home runs under his belt. Stanton easily leads the league in home runs as well as RBI (108), slugging percentage (.666), OPS (1.053), and OPS+ (174).

He is making a strong case for the National League Most Valuable Player award and could very well earn it.

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It should be noted that any trade for Stanton would require a substantial return of prospects in return. Our own Tyler King offered up a potential deal that would involve Philadelphia paying 75 percent of Stanton’s deal while also giving up a package of five players.