Trading for Giancarlo Stanton Could be a Disaster for San Francisco Giants

There have been rumors that the San Francisco Giants could trade for Giancarlo Stanton, but that could be a disaster for the franchise.

I believe I’m in the minority here among San Francisco Giants fans, but I think trading for Stanton is a terrible idea.

First of all he’s owed almost $300 million over the next 11 years! Let that sink in for a moment.

A contract like that could easily cripple a franchise, even one as rich as San Francisco. Now maybe the Miami Marlins throw in a chunk of cash when trading him, but the Giants would still be on the hook for a lot of that money.

But, there is also the chance that he opts out of his contract after the 2020 season. If he did that, he would be turning down a guaranteed $208 million over the following seven years. He would have to be an idiot to turn down that kind of money in the back half of his career.

The only way I see him opting out of this contract is if he’s in a situation he hates, or he’s coming off an MVP season and thinks he can get more money.

Still, it would be very hard for anyone to turn down that much guaranteed money. That’s why I would be really surprised is Johnny Cueto opted out of his contract this year, especially with the sub par season he’s having.

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Second, the guy has played in more than 123 games in a season just twice in the past six years. We won’t count his rookie year when he only played in 100 games, and he’s already played in 92 this year so things are looking good. But the fact remains, this guy is injury prone.

There isn’t much he can do about getting hit in the mouth with a pitch, but he still constantly gets nagging injuries that cause him to miss time.

Do you think that’s going to get better as he gets older? I seriously doubt it.

Do you want to be paying someone $29 million a year who only plays in 120 games? Not me.

Now that I’ve gotten the negative out of the way, here is a positive. He’s hit 27 or more home runs six times in eight years.

The San Francisco Giants are desperate for home run power, and Stanton could certainly provide the pop.

Next: San Francisco Giants Rumors: Red Sox eyeing Eduardo Nunez

However, if the San Francisco Giants were to make a move for Stanton, they better guarantee me that they can win a championship with him. Because if they can’t, this team is going to be drowning in that contract for years to come with a player who is often injured and nothing to show for acquiring him.