NY Yankees Trade Scenarios: Why Giancarlo Stanton Is Worth Giving Up the Farm
November 20, 2012 · Colin Kennedy · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
As the New York Yankees hold firm to their position that the team will limit next year’s payroll to $189 million or less, New York may want to consider offering the farm for the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton.
GM Brian Cashman‘s commitment to get “younger and better” this offseason may be a bit tougher than in years past. Because while the Yankees seem stuck on avoiding the impending luxury tax, large free agent acquisitions may no longer be in the cards.
Such a strategy isn’t exactly orthodox in the Bronx.
A team known worldwide for its heavy spending must now find alternative ways to remain competitive.
And that may mean parting ways with some of the organization’s most highly valued assets.
For the Yankees, it isn’t really about the future. Everyone in New York knows that the players in pinstripes must win now.
So when a player of Stanton’s ability even enters the realm of trade rumors, all options must be considered.
Here are three reasons why Giancarlo Stanton is worth New York’s farm system.
Now is the Time
Miami hasn’t yet budged from their stance that Stanton will remain in Miami for the near future. However, after shipping virtually every other ounce of talent on their roster to the Toronto Blue Jays last week, the Marlins would be silly to shut down the phone lines now.
That is why a team like the Yankees has to evaluate every possible scenario.
New York’s starting squad sported just two players under the age of 30 in 2012. With a core of aging veterans prepping for retirement in the next few years, what better time to shoot for the stars than now?
During the Steinbrenner era, the Yankees haven’t been forced to endure the rebuilding process often. But with recent changes in ownership attitude and New York’s current roster, the unimaginable transition period may be unavoidable.
So with one of the game’s best young hitters potentially available and time rapidly running out, Brian Cashman should at the very least see what it might take to pry Giancarlo Stanton out of Miami’s largely unrecognizable lineup.
Sky is the Limit
If the first three seasons of Stanton’s career have shown us anything, it is that the young right fielder would fit fluidly in a lineup commonly referred to as the Bronx Bombers.
The 23-year-old California native has made a name for himself across baseball as one of the game’s premier power hitters.
Totaling 93 home runs in just 373 games at the Major League level, Stanton possesses the raw power very few have ever displayed at his age.
A .290 batting average contributed to a career year for Miami’s prized player this past season, and showed the rest of the league that Stanton isn’t as one-dimensional as once thought.
His continual improvement during his short time in the Bigs is one reason general managers are praying that the Marlins ownership even listens to offers for their cleanup hitter.
If he stays in South Beach next season, it is almost certain that Stanton’s production will take a hit because of the desolate lineup around him.
So with the Marlins starting fresh, and the Yankees aging fast, what is preventing one last blockbuster deal out of Miami?
Ideal Environment
Where he stands now, Giancarlo Stanton may see fewer strikes in 2013 than any other player in the National League.
As the only legitimate threat in the Marlins current lineup, the young talent would almost certainly welcome a trade out of Miami.
And what better destination for the power-hitting outfielder than New York?
A last-to-first team-change would undoubtedly hasten Stanton’s development rather than hinder it.
Instead of getting pitched around in Miami’s larger ballpark, the 23-year-old California native would have a short fence in right field to feast upon in the Bronx.
He would be surrounded with talent that would force the opposition to show him strikes. He would have a plethora of veteran experience to learn from—including one of the game’s best all-time right-handed power hitters in Alex Rodriguez.
Stanton would also fill a void in the cleanup slot in the Yankees lineup.
The position that Rodriguez no longer fills efficiently has often been a question mark in recent times for manager Joe Girardi.
Stanton’s presence would give New York unlimited options. Cano could step into the three hole for good, and Teixeira’s low average could slide down the order.
Conclusion
Obviously the Yankees would have to surrender top-notch talent and prospects to make such a deal even fathomable. Names like Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez, and David Phelps come to mind when potential scenarios are discussed.
But New York may need to face reality.
Fans in the Bronx should realize that Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera won’t be around forever despite their unprecedented ageless success.
So with the window of opportunity closing, now is the time to pull the trigger.
Now is the time to aim for No. 28
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