The hope and speculation has come to an end. The St. Louis Cardinals will not be acquiring Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins this off-season.
The Cardinals issued a press release with statements from Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. and President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak on the matter.
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“We had an agreement to acquire Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins, subject to him waiving his no-trade clause. We have been notified that he will not waive his no-trade clause to come to St. Louis. While we are disappointed in his decision, we will continue to make every effort to improve our club for the upcoming season,” said DeWitt.
“Unfortunately we were not able to convince Stanton to waive his no-trade clause and join the Cardinals. We felt this was a great landing spot for him, but it was not meant to be,” said Mozeliak.
The 28-year old Stanton hit 59 home runs last season and is in the midst of a contract which could pay him $295 million through 2027. Miami is seeking payroll relief, but as noted, Stanton’s contract includes a full no-trade clause.
The Marlins outfielder had been the top target for the Cardinals, who have made it clear they would like to add an impact bat to their lineup before the 2018 season.
The announcement from the Cardinals comes as the Winter Meetings are set to begin on Monday.
photo credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
