One of the more interesting tidbits within the Astros’ leaked internal communications earlier this week was an potential trade for Marlins superstar Giancarlo Stanton, which means the Marlins are yet again trying to convince the baseball world and Stanton that he’s not going to be traded.
Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports that Marlins president of baseball operations Mike Hill called Stanton personally to assure him there were no trade talks ongoing currently and then Hill told reporters the following:I told you guys in the beginning of the winter that he’s not available--and we’re not shopping him. I would expect clubs to call on a good player. He’s a good player and I think that’s the point we want to make sure gets out. I’ve spoken to him and told him exactly that. So there’s no miscommunication and no misinterpretation on anybody’s part. We haven’t shopped him. He’s not available. We want that to be crystal clear.
We talk to our counterparts all the time. They like some of our players and we like some of their players. That doesn’t mean any of them are available. In that situation, it’s unfortunate they got hacked and it’s unfortunate that information got out there. But we just wanted to set the record straight he is not available. We didn’t go around calling and shopping him. It’s a non-story on our end.
All of which sounds perfectly fair and reasonable, except Miami’s history with trading away star talent makes it a story whether Hill likes it or not.