All signs point to Marlins sending Stanton to Yankees
After helping the New York Yankees to five World Series titles, Derek Jeter might help them win another.
The Yankees and Jeter’s Miami Marlins have agreed to a trade that would send NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton to New York, pending a physical, a person familiar with the negotiations said Saturday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the agreement.
Second baseman Starlin Castro would go to Miami as part of the trade, a second person familiar with the negotiations said. A third person said the Marlins would also receive prospects Jorge Guzman, a right-hander, and Jose Devers, an infielder who is a cousin of Boston prospect Rafael Devers.
The third person said the deal calls for the Marlins to send $30 million to the Yankees if Stanton doesn’t exercise his right to opt out of his contract and become a free agent after the 2020 season.
Stanton has a notrade clause in his record $325 million, 13-year contract and has indicated he will approve the trade, one of the people said. St. Louis and the Giants said Friday that Stanton had vetoed deals to them.
As for the physical, injuries curtailed Stanton’s season in four of the past six years, but he played a career-high 159 games in 2017 and led the majors with 59 homers and 132 RBIs.
If the Yankees complete the trade with Jeter, their former captain and the new Marlins CEO, the Bronx Bombers would pair Stanton with Aaron Judge, who led the AL with 52 in his rookie season. That would give them a onetwo punch to rival RuthGehrig or Mantle-Maris, making for must-see batting practice.
Judge sent a tweet to Stanton showing a clip from the movie “Step Brothers” with Will Ferrell saying, “Did we just become best friends?”
Obtaining the 28-yearold Stanton would be reminiscent of the Yankees’ acquisition of AL MVP Alex Rodriguez from Texas after the 2003 season for second baseman Alfonso Soriano. Rodriguez signed a $275 million, 10-year contract after the 2007 season that ran through age 42; Stanton’s deal runs through age 38.
An eight-year veteran with 267 home runs, Stanton has never played on a winning team and might now go to a club that hasn’t had a losing record since 1992. The Yankees reached Game 7 of the AL Championship Series this season in the first full year of a youth movement.
New Yankees manager Aaron Boone, along with the front office, would have to sort where Stanton will play. He has played his whole big league career in right field, as has Judge. The Yankees also have the option of using one of them as a designated hitter.
Stanton is owed $295 million over the final decade of his record $325 million, 13-year contract.
OHTANI INTRODUCED BY ANGELS >> Shohei Ohtani has been formally introduced by the Los Angeles Angels after they won the fierce baseball-wide competition for the services of the twoway Japanese star.
A loud crowd of fans at Angel Stadium cheered when Ohtani donned a red jersey and hat on a stage with Angels owner Arte Moreno, general manager Billy Eppler and manager Mike Scioscia.
Eppler confirmed that the Angels intend to allow Ohtani to become the majors’ most significant twoway player in several decades.
Ohtani will be the Angels’ designated hitter on many days when he isn’t serving as a starting pitcher, Scioscia says.
Ohtani thrilled the fans when he said that he would love to get his first victory and hit his first homer in the same game. IANNETTA, ROCKIES AGREE ON TWO-YEAR DEAL >> Catcher Chris Iannetta and the Colorado Rockies have agreed to an $8.5 million, two-year contract. He gets a $300,000 signing bonus and salaries of $3.45 million next year and $4 million in 2019 under the agreement announced Friday. FIERS HEADS TO TIGERS >> Right-hander Mike Fiers and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a $6 million, oneyear contract. The 32-yearold made 28 starts and one relief appearance for the Houston Astros this year, going 8-10 with a 5.22 ERA. He struck out 146 in 153 1/3 innings. He was suspended five games in September after throwing a fastball over the head of the Los Angeles Angels’ Luis Valbuena.