Cardinals release odd statement saying they tried to trade for Giancarlo Stanton but he wouldn't accept a deal to St. Louis
- The St. Louis Cardinals on Friday released a statement saying they tried to trade for Giancarlo Stanton, but he would not waive his no-trade clause.
- The Miami Marlins have been pursuing trades for Stanton this offseason but he reportedly has a list of select teams he would accept a deal to.
- The statement is odd as teams don't often report failed trade attempts.
The St. Louis Cardinals on Friday released a statement saying they tried to trade for Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, but Stanton declined to waive his no-trade clause.
The Marlins have been exploring trades for Stanton this offseason as they prepare for a rebuild, but Stanton has limited the teams he would accept being traded to. According to the Cardinals, they did not make Stanton's list.
"We had an agreement to acquire Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins, subject to him waiving his no-trade clause," the Cardinals chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. "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."
The statement is odd in that it serves only to show the Cardinals made an attempt to acquire Stanton. Stanton, of course, did nothing wrong in exercising an option the Marlins gave him when he signed a record 13-year, $325 million contract.
The statement is also a bit unusual as, across all sports, there are failed trade attempts, and teams don't often put out statements to announce them.
"We felt this was a great landing spot for him, but it was not meant to be," President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said in the statement.
According to reports, Stanton's list of possible trade destinations includes the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs, though the list appears to be subject to change at any time. Stanton was reportedly weighing whether he would accept a deal to the San Francisco Giants, but reportedly crossed them off the list, too.