The Yankees reportedly could be in the running to land Giancarlo Stanton and form MLB's most powerful lineup
According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Yankees reached out to the Miami Marlins to discuss a possible trade for Giancarlo Stanton, whose 32 homers this year tie him for the league lead with Yankees rookie Aaron Judge.
According to Heyman, talks didn't go far, and it's unclear if the Marlins are willing to move Stanton at the moment.
However, as Heyman noted, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is expected to sell the team, and new ownership may prefer to get rid of Stanton's massive contract going forward. Few teams are as well suited as the Yankees to carry the remaining ten years and $295 million on Stanton's deal.
According to Heyman, the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies have all been linked to Stanton, though it's unclear how serious their interests are.
And while Heyman reports that the Yankees have focused on solidifying their starting rotation, the idea of making a move for Stanton is tantalizing. While the Yankees don't necessarily have a need for another outfielder or power-hitter, if they want to make a playoff push, nabbing one of baseball's best sluggers and putting him next to another one of baseball's best sluggers in Judge would make them an extremely tough opponent in October.
And if the Yankees somehow land Stanton, they could be set up to become even scarier in the future as they're widely expected to pursue Bryce Harper or Manny Machado in 2018. While their payroll would be massive (Harper reportedly could command $400 million), next to some talented, developing prospects, the Yankees could be one of the best offensive teams in the league.