Chicago Cubs

Reigning NL MVP Would Accept Trade to Cubs: Report

The baseball world is laser-focused on where Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton will end up, and according to a new report, Chicago Cubs fans should be very excited about the situation.

That report, from Sirius XM’s Craig Mish, says the Cubs are one of four teams that Stanton will approve a trade to. Stanton has a full no-trade clause in his contract, and has the right to veto any trade that he wants to as the Marlins try to unload his salary from their payroll.

According to Mish, Stanton will accept a trade to the Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros, the four teams that made the League Championship Series in 2017.

Stanton is getting ready to enter the fourth year of the staggering 13-year, $325 million deal that he signed with the Marlins prior to the 2015 season. Stanton’s salary will take a big leap next eason, paying him $25 million per season, and that number will rise to $32 million per season by 2023.

Even if the Cubs were interested in Stanton, and there is no indication that they are at this point, the obstacles facing them would be massive. They do have plenty of money to spend thanks to contracts like Jake Arrieta and John Lackey’s deals coming off the books, but with players like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell in line for pay raises over the next several seasons, Stanton’s deal could hamper them in those efforts.

To make matters more complicated, the Cubs are currently trying to restock their farm system after a series of trades, including the swaps that landed them Aroldis Chapman and Jose Quintana.

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Even still, the news that the Cubs could be one of four finalists for Stanton is indeed interesting, if for no other reason than the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals don’t appear to be on Stanton’s approved team list. The Cardinals have reportedly put together a package that the Marlins like for Stanton, but if he won’t approve a trade to the Gateway City, then the deal wouldn’t go through.

The reigning National League MVP coming to the Central Division would be a tough pill to swallow for the Cubs, but if Stanton is serious about not going to St. Louis, then that makes the Cubs’ road to another division title just a little bit easier. 

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