San Francisco Giants: Staton watch reaches eleventy billionth day

The San Francisco Giants really want Stanton. San Francisco Giants Fans really want Giancarlo Stanton. This is something that has been apparent since the offseason began. That was over a month ago, and nothing in the grand scheme of baseball has changed, yet.

The wait continues for the San Francisco Giants front office and fans alike. Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t made up his mind yet. Giants fans

are beginning to get pessimistic

have been pessimistic from the start, despite mostly positive reports coming out of the Giants camp. But as fans grow impatient, I think too many have begun to lose sight of what is really going on here.

Giancarlo Stanton is a human being. He’s not some almighty, home-run bashing robot. He has his own connections, convictions, dreams, and aspirations. Many could undertake the whole lame, “He’s getting paid millions! It shouldn’t matter where he wants to play. His team doesn’t want him, ours does! WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG!”

The simple fact here is that Stanton is a human being. He has a right to make his decisions, and to take as long as he wants in doing so. He’s going to have to live with his decision likely for the next three years (minimum), and deal with whatever comes with that decision, good or bad. Yes, he’ll be doing it more financially comfortable than most humans ever will. But just because he’s doing it comfortably, doesn’t mean he has any less emotion, or any less humanity than the other guy.

More from Around the Foghorn

• SF Giants: Reliever Reyes Moronta clears outright waivers
• SF Giants sign veteran 1B John Nogowski to minor league deal
• SF Giants call on veteran LHP Scott Kazmir for big start against Padres
• SF Giants: Update on Alex Dickerson’s rehab assignment
• Atlanta claims SF Giants C Chadwick Tromp off waivers

This also isn’t like a Kevin Durant decision. Durant was choosing to leave a small town, a team that he felt didn’t have enough upward mobility, for a team with the sky as the limit, and a town full of opportunities he’d never get in Oklahoma City. Make a lot more money, play in an amazing environment, and do so with the chance to win rings every year you stay there, who wouldn’t want that opportunity?

The San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals (even if they’re somehow still in this), don’t have that, “This is a better situation than I’m in currently in,” feel. They likely don’t provide a significant step up anywhere other than maybe ownership ambitions. But, there is a very good chance (95%) the Dodgers are a better ball-club in 2017 than the Giants and Cardinals.

The Dodgers are to Stanton, what the Warriors were for Kevin Durant: an attractive city, team, franchise to play for, while having a chance to actually win a ring. Considering that’s his home-town team, and his favorite team as a kid growing up, it shouldn’t shock people he’s giving them a chance to make a run at him for 2017.

The thing in all of this though, is the Warriors had the financial room and flexibility to make it work in 2016. They sat there and said, “Here is a fat stack of cash, cap room we have available, and a chance to win a ring. Come on over man.” The Dodgers have that last part, but not the first too. Unlike KD, Stanton is under contract. He can’t just choose the situation he wants. He’s gonna have to choose the best situation that he has in front of him.

The question

becomes

remains as it has all along: will he wait a year and see if his options get better? Or does he try and make the best of the better options that are available right now, and then get a chance to go where he wants three years from now? Who knows.

I can guarantee you though, that choosing one of the current options in front of him and sticking it out for a couple years would be better than being stuck in this Marlins shift. The Marlins might actually be semi-good by the time he’s on his fourth or fifth option if they chose the whole “Houston Astros” route to redemption. Even then, they have no recent track record of decision making that shows the ability to put themselves there. But then again, that’s me.

Next: How teams who sign top FA's have done

Miami is an awesome city to live in, and as long as he’s still hitting bombs, who knows if he cares about the whole winning thing? He’ll have $25 million a year plus, over the next bajillion seasons he has on his contract. If he choses to opt out, he’ll likely make more if his production stays the same. Is he content living in Miami and playing well, but maybe not competing? Who knows. But all we know right now is that Stanton is taking his time. And that’s certainly ok with me, and it should be with you.