NY Mets monitoring Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton

In other news, I am monitoring Kate Upton. Up in a tree. With binoculars.

When the Marlins traded Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson to Toronto last November, Mets officials began asking one another questions that remain in their minds today: Can we get Giancarlo Stanton?  Would we trade Zack Wheeler to do it?

According to three team sources, the Mets then spent time at the winter meetings debating whether to make Wheeler available in a variety of trades, including for Arizona’s Justin Upton and Kansas City’s Wil Myers.  Neither of those outfielders seemed worth the organization’s top pitching prospect, but Stanton is in a different category.

Although they do not know if the Marlins will move him (Miami declined to shop Stanton even after the outfielder Tweeted about being “pissed off” after the Reyes trade), the Mets continue to monitor the situation, fully realizing that any deal would almost certainly have to include Wheeler and top catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

Would you trade those blue chippers for a guy who might become the premier slugger of his generation?  I say, hell yes, duh, no brainer, but let’s hear from people whose opinions actually matter.

“In a heartbeat,” said one Mets official, who is not in Alderson’s inner-circle of decision-makers, but has a voice in discussions. The guy then snapped his fingers.  “Nothing against those kids, but it’s Giancarlo.”

Spencer: Marlins not shopping Stanton, and my HOF ballot

The latest report indicates the Marlins have spoken to the Padres about Stanton. “Completely off base” and “totally ridiculous” was the response I received when I asked about it.

Teams contact the Marlins about Stanton all the time. The Marlins, out of professional courtesy, don’t hang up on them. They “listen,” as they do with all inquiries involving any of their players. But listening is not the same as “contemplating,” and the Marlins—at least for now—are not entertaining any thoughts of trading their slugger…

Based on the early returns, the Hall of Fame announcement on Wednesday could be extremely brief. Not a single candidate is trending above the 75 percent threshold needed to gain entrance to Cooperstown, according to Hall of Fame Collecting Gizmo.”...

I ended up voting for five players: Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling and Larry Walker.

With the lone exception of Schilling, the other four players on my ballot rank among the Top 10 players of all-time at their positions based on the JAWS scoring system, a useful advanced metrics tool that allows one to compare players from different eras. JAWS isn’t perfect. It doesn’t factor in fielding, for example, postseason performance, milestones or awards—all stuff I also considered.

But it does account “for the wide variations in offensive levels that have occurred throughout the game’s history.”

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Epiphany!  Return Spencer’s gift!

the Marlins “are not moving [Giancarlo Stanton],” according to a source I spoke with. They haven’t even “discussed” it internally. The team’s plans calling for Stanton to start the season with the club and occupy the clean-up spot have “not changed at all,” according to another source with knowledge of the Marlins’ intentions.

And yet the speculation continues. The latest report indicates the Marlins have spoken to the Padres about Stanton. “Completely off base” and “totally ridiculous” was the response I received when I asked about it.

Teams contact the Marlins about Stanton all the time. The Marlins, out of professional courtesy, don’t hang up on them. They “listen,” as they do with all inquiries involving any of their players. But listening is not the same as “contemplating,” and the Marlins—at least for now—are not entertaining any thoughts of trading their slugger…

Based on the early returns, the Hall of Fame announcement on Wednesday could be extremely brief. Not a single candidate is trending above the 75 percent threshold needed to gain entrance to Cooperstown, according to Hall of Fame Collecting Gizmo.”...

I ended up voting for five players: Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling and Larry Walker.

With the lone exception of Schilling, the other four players on my ballot rank among the Top 10 players of all-time at their positions based on the JAWS scoring system, a useful advanced metrics tool that allows one to compare players from different eras. JAWS isn’t perfect. It doesn’t factor in fielding, for example, postseason performance, milestones or awards—all stuff I also considered.

But it does account “for the wide variations in offensive levels that have occurred throughout the game’s history.”

Marlins Will Listen On Giancarlo Stanton: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

I bet they’d love a big pile of money for him.