Monday is MLB’s trade deadline and for another year, the Miami Marlins are sellers.
And that’s starting to bother Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton.
“Every trade for minor-leaguers is two or three years away from seeing the result of that trade,” Stanton said Saturday, per the Sun Sentinel. “That means two or three years of every person taken away is a couple years until you realize what that means.”
Stanton’s comments came after the Marlins dealt closer A.J. Ramos, who was Stanton’s best friend on the team. The Nationals begin a three-game series against the Marlins on Monday.
In Stanton’s eight years with the Marlins, he has never made the playoffs. Losses have piled up and the team is constantly trying to rebuild. Stanton was once seen as baseball’s brightest rising star and signed a 13-year, $325 million contract in 2014.
The contract has proved to be an obstacle for the Marlins, who might be open to trading Stanton. But to make any deal, which is unlikely, they would have to eat a large chunk of the contract — something owner Jeffrey Loria is very resistant to do, especially considering he wants to sell the team.
Stanton had his best month of the season in July and posted a 1.169 OPS in the month. He hit .289/.413/.756 in July as well.
The Marlins are 49-54 this season.
For the Nationals, the Marlins series is the beginning of a six-game road trip. The Nationals don’t return to Washington until Aug. 7 to face the Marlins again. They play the Chicago Cubs in between each series.
The Nationals hold a 13-game lead over the Marlins in the National League East.
MLB’s trade deadline is at 4 p.m.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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