Home / MLB / Trades That Go Bump In The Night: Yankees Acquire Giancarlo Stanton

Trades That Go Bump In The Night: Yankees Acquire Giancarlo Stanton

While you were sleeping on Friday night, Brian Cashman was working overtime. After the news earlier on Friday that Giancarlo Stanton was not going to waive his no-trade clause for the San Francisco Giants or St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Yankees stepped up to discuss a potential trade. As of Saturday evening, the reports are that the deal is done and the teams are only awaiting physicals. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports was the first to report that a deal was done between the two teams. If this deal ends up being completed (which is expected), Giancarlo Stanton will be a New York Yankee through at least 2020 (Stanton has an opt-out clause after the 2020 season). The offseason has officially begun.

It is almost as if the Yankees could not allow the Los Angeles Angels and Shoehei Ohtani to enjoy the spotlight for too long. Friday was supposed to be all about Ohtani. Instead, as baseball fans everywhere were starting to go to bed, thoughts of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge in the same lineup danced in their heads. This will be the biggest trade that the Yankees have made since acquiring Alex Rodriguez before the 2004 season from the Texas Rangers. After signing a five-year extension with the Yankees (including a raise of $2 million), Brian Cashman immediately went to work on improving the Yankees’ roster.

The Details of the Deal

In exchange for the reigning NL MVP, it appears that Starlin Castro and a couple of prospects (Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers) will be shipped down to Miami. Before flipping out about the prospects, they are good but not top level prospects.

The reason for the prospects not being elite comes down to money. The Yankees will be taking on the bulk of the $295 million that is left on Stanton’s deal, assuming all but $30 million.

What About the Luxury Tax?

Remember all that talk about getting beneath the $197 million luxury tax threshold for the 2018 season? Despite this trade, Brian Cashman will likely still be adamant about staying under that threshold. Giancarlo Stanton will make $25 million in 2018. The Yankees are getting rid of about $11 million with the departure of Starlin Castro. So hypothetically, the Stanton only costs the Yankees $14 million in 2018. Prior to the trade, the Yankees’ 2018 team salary is estimated at $151.8 million. Adding $14 million to that would equal $165.8 million. However, those calculations are assuming no other free agents are signed.

The Yankees are not going to fill out the rest of their roster with pre-arbitration eligible players. Gleyber Torres might be one, who will likely replace Castro at second in the 2018 season (or Ronald Torreyes). The DH issue is now resolved since the Yankees will potentially have six MLB ready outfielders on roster. There will likely be a rotation with Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, and Jacoby Ellsbury in and out of the starting lineup with Stanton and Judge featuring at DH from time to time. In theory, the Yankees have approximately $34 million to spend before hitting the luxury tax threshold. Will that be enough to sign a fifth starter, potentially another infielder, and another bench player? Maybe.

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge: Together Again for the First Time

The combined statistics from 2017 of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are as follows:

111 HR, 246 RBIs, 15.7 WAR, 251 runs, 19 defensive runs saved, 371 SO, 212 walks, and 12 first place MVP votes

Well, that is something terrifying for the opposing pitchers. Yes, both players do tend to strikeout at a high rate. However, their combined 111 HRs only trails the San Francisco Giants’ total home run mark by 17 home runs. That is impressive to say the least. Perhaps the most important thing about this trade is that is could help project Aaron Judge from suffering a sophomore slump. The Yankees’ lineup already had some protection for Judge. Pitchers were pitching around the big slugger, even when he was struggling at the dish. He has a good eye, but part of his MLB-leading 127 walks comes from pitchers pitching around him. If this trade goes through, the most difficult question is who do you pitch to between Stanton and Judge?

Batting practice will be a spectacle on a daily basis with these two on the same team. However, this does not equal automatic success on offense. It is has been proven that both of these players can hit over 50 home runs in a season; 60 home runs is not even out of the question for either player. But, I would not expect both Stanton and Judge to hit over 50 again this season. Remember, simply stacking these two together does not equal an automatic 111 home runs. Pitchers will have game plans against that will either try to eliminate Stanton or Judge from beating them. Will it work every time? Of course not. But, there is another factor in this equation.

Do Not Forget About The Kraken

Way back in the year 2016, there once was a legend of mythical creature who appeared in New York around August. This rookie sensation took the league by storm. A power hitting catcher who hit 20 home runs in two months of MLB play and almost stole the AL Rookie of the Year. Remember all the hype around Gary Sanchez back then? Due to the rise of Aaron Judge, the excitement around Gary Sanchez from 2016 is almost forgotten. Part of that has to come from his poor defensive play, but Sanchez is the third man in this offensive slugfest trio.

In 2017 (which he was injured for a month of), Sanchez clubbed 33 home runs with 90 RBIs. That equals 144 home runs among three players who will be teammates in 2018. Gary Sanchez could be the big winner from this Giancarlo Stanton trade. Watching the coverage of the trade on ESPN, the focus is on Stanton and Judge together. That focus could lead to Sanchez seeing better pitches during his at-bats. 2018 could be the first season (assuming good health) that a catcher hits more than 40 home runs since Javy Lopez in 2003.

No More Harper

Stanton likely spells the end of the idea of Bryce Harper joining the Yankees next offseason. With Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, and Jacoby Ellsbury under contract for the foreseeable future, there is no room for Harper on the roster. Clint Frazier, the main prospect received for Andrew Miller, might be getting lost in the shuffle right now. After the 2018 season, there will be five outfielders on the roster, with another promising prospect in the minors (Florial). There is no way the Yankees can consider signing Bryce Harper after this deal.

Yankees All-In for Machado?

With Bryce Harper essentially eliminated, that points to the Yankees pursuing Manny Machado fiercely next offseason. With the outfield set for some time, the infield will have a couple of holes to fill potentially. Assuming Gleyber Torres is a quality MLB player, that will still leave third base open at the end of the 2018 season with Chase Headley’s contract running out. Of course, there is Miguel Andujar who could step up and the future at third for the Yankees. However, there are not many signs that point to Andujar being a similar quality as Machado or even Torres.

Before this trade, the Yankees’ hope to get under the luxury tax in 2018 was to help prepare for a shopping spree next offseason. A couple of days ago, it was reported that the Yankees were calling the Baltimore Orioles to discuss the possibility of a trade for Manny Machado. While nothing was expected to pan out, the Orioles were willing to listen to offers. With this Giancarlo Stanton trade on the horizon, there is no chance that the Yankees will go out and trade for Machado (I hope and think). The Yankees will now wait to try to sign Machado as a free agent. Why give up talent for a player who they can sign in one season?

Giancarlo Stanton as a Yankee

Personally, I was not thrilled with this trade. When it was reported that Stanton was willing to waive his no-trade clause for the Yankees, I did not think much of it. Then, the news that the Yankees were engaged in serious talks starting coming in, my gut reaction was not excitement, it was almost dread. Acquiring a talent like Giancarlo Stanton is fantastic for the team, but do they need him? No. The Yankees were already stacked with outfielders. Hicks, Gardner, Judge, Ellsbury, and Frazier all were on the MLB roster last season. Ellsbury wants to remain a Yankee, so it is unlikely he will waive his no-trade clause.

With that said, there is no denying that the reigning NL MVP will help the team in 2018. It is clear that the goal is to win and win now. Giancarlo Stanton might hold back Clint Frazier, but that does not matter anymore. Signing Manny Machado next offseason might take one more position away from a prospect, but that is not a concern. The Yankees still have a young team, but they will not be relying on rookies. There is only one rookie in 2018 who will truly need to step up: Gleyber Torres. Assuming that this trade becomes official, the fun part will be to see where the rest of the chips fall for the Yankees and the MLB.

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Griffin Fuller

Former Division 1 pitcher at Stetson University with an immense passion for the game of baseball. Grew up playing baseball from the age of 3. Student of the game of baseball in every aspect.Located out of Debary, Florida.
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  • john

    I didn’t want Stanton either but at this price you have to take him. Broken record time but now more than ever I want the Yanks to pay down Ellsbury’s contract and make him a 2-3 million per year player and trade him. They need to tell him (honestly I might add) he’s the 5th outfielder if he doesn’t waive his no trade he will rot on the bench. Assuming they ditch him bring up Frazier and try and put him in the mix as much as possible including letting him play some cf so he can get ab’s. I’d have Wade and Torreyes battle for 2nd base loser is the utility guy. Gleyber should play 3rd and 2nd in the minors to shake off rust. Andujar should play 3rd and Dh in Scranton. After about 1-2 months asses the situation. In a perfect world Andujar and Torres are both ready and you can ditch Headley give Andujar 3rd, put Torres at 2nd, demote the starting 2nd baseman to utility and trade or demote the guy who’s been your utility man for the early season.

    I’d go for Cobb if possible bearing in mind we’d have an extra 2 or so million per season if we dump Ellsbury. If it’s too tight bring back CC. Keep all the kids who are ready Adams, and nearly ready Sheffield pitching in the minors.

    We went from a rebuild to being a now team in the blink of an eye. I see this window being open for quite some time assuming some of the kid pitchers can come up and contribute. What a great time to be a Yankee fan.

    • Griffin Fuller

      Thanks for the comment John. Do not forget that the Yankees already have a quality bench utility man in Ronald Torreyes. I saw the battle for second base in Spring Training should be between Torreyes and Torres, with Tyler Wade having an outside shot.

      In regards to Ellsbury, he thinks he can win the CF position from Hicks. While that does not seem likely at the moment, remember Hicks has only had one good season at the MLB level plus he was injured a lot last year. Honestly, I think Clint Frazier’s future as a Yankee might be in jeopardy right now. He could be used a trade chip, especially at the deadline depending on how the season plays out.

      Personally, I want Sabathia back in the rotation. The starting rotation is so young, a long time veteran would do some good. Especially Sabathia, who loves New York and could mentor the other guys. Plus, it will be easier to work with Sabathia if Chance Adams or Justus Sheffield are ready to pitch this season.

      • john

        Thanks for the reply Griffin.

        I mostly agree with what you are saying. I am not sure if Torres can force the issue enough to break camp with the team. Assuming he can’t I think Wade vs Torreyes is the battle, loser is utility man. Do you think Wade has a future on the team as a starter? Based upon his work in the minors I can see him making a nice 2nd baseman or utility piece. He intrigues me as a possible top of the order hitter.

        I hope they don’t deal Frazier but you are correct he is very vulnerable at this time. I think Gardner and Ellsbury are rapidly approaching 4th outfielder time and I like his potential. Hicks is no guarantee but I really feel he is a late bloomer and we are seeing what kind of player he can be. I’d be shocked if Ellsbury is better than him going forward.

        • Griffin Fuller

          With Tyler Wade, he looked completely outclassed offensively in his few opportunities he had in 2017. I will never write a young prospect off, but Wade takes me as a utility player. He has the tools to be a solid starter in the infield. Hopefully, Wade develops a better approach at the plate. I think his ceiling is a Eduardo Nunez type (which is not bad at all).

          The outfield situation is the most intriguing thing. I think Gardner and Hicks will swap in and out of the outfield the most, with one of them serving as the DH. Hicks is a great defender, but he needs to repeat his production from 2017.

          As for Clint Frazier, it might be a smart move to trade Frazier. Remember, Estevan Florial is a top prospect as well. Florial offers a different type of outfielder than Frazier. Frazier might fall victim to being consider solid, but not having that special X factor. He does not seem to match the power that Hicks offers (or the defense) and is not speedy like Florial. With Frazier having a high cost, the Yankees could flip him for something. I would not expect that though until the trade deadline.

          • john

            Don’t want to monopolize all your time but did want to reply. I certainly hope Frazier has more pop than Hicks. I was led to believe his ceiling is .270 30 homers kind of player. Capable of playing Cf but long term more suited to left. A classic #5 hitter on a good team. He hasn’t proven it yet so you could be right now would be the time to move him. Lots of intrigue as long as we don’t start using prospects to facilitate money dump trades I think there are no wrong answers.

            Wade did look lost but most rookies do. He is an interesting piece to have kicking around and nice depth. I agree with you it’s hard to predict future starter, but I think it is certainly possible given his progression in the minors.

          • ricter

            Hicks was a highly sought after prospect for years, but his biggest issue is he can’t stay healthy. He has “wear and tear” type injuries a lot, like strains, pulled muscles, etc…so, he never had a full season off the DL and he’s 28 yrs old.

            Hicks was thought of as a 5-tool player with a ton of power from both sides, cannon for an arm, top-notch speed, great eye, and .300 hitter ability. But he can’t stay on the field. He is a huge liability because of that.

            Clint is going to be a good player but I can’t see him breaking into this line up in CF, and if Hicks hits the DL again (which he very well might) in 2018, then the Yankees may bring up McKinney, Cave, or even Florial before they try Frazier in CF. I feel Frazier is going to Pittsburg for Cole.

          • john

            Agree with you on Hicks ricter. He’s got plenty of talent but last year was the first time he put it together, and of course he got hurt. I would think Gardner or God forbid Ellsbury are the next most logical Cf’s on the roster. I have read Frazier can play out there but he isn’t rated as above average or anything. I was more mentioning that ability as a way for him to sneak into some games if he somehow makes the team as the 4th outfielder.

            I don’t see any scenario where McKinney plays a meaningful roll on this team other than a trade chip. Florial is too far away to consider as well. Cave certainly might serve a roll, I guess it depends on who’s injured, and how long they are out for. I see Cave as the first man up for a short stay, if real playing time opened up and Frazier is still around he’d have to get the call, IMHO.

            Most likely you and Griffin are correct and Frazier gets traded somewhere for an arm. I still hold out some hope that Ellsbury can be dealt even though he’s saying he wants to stay. Most guys don’t say get me out of here as it hurts leverage. Stanton obviously was an exception but the Marlins deserve all the blame for jerking him around and wasting half of his career sucking.

          • Griffin Fuller

            Interesting points. I do not foresee Frazier playing anywhere other than a corner position. As I said in these comments before, there is nothing that stands out to me about Frazier. His bat speed is impressive, but I do not foresee it turning into a big surplus in power.

            The only reason why I would hesitate to trade Frazier is the health of Hicks, Ellsbury, and Stanton. Despite having 6 outfielders now, three of the six have injury problems. Plus, Gardner is a free agent after this season and despite my desire for him to remain a Yankee, Brian Cashman won’t take my calls to ensure he will remain a Yankee.

          • ricter

            So, you are saying then at any point the Yankees can easily be down to 4 OFs or even 3 again, due to the history of Injuries of the lot, correct?

            Hicks worries me the most.

          • Griffin Fuller

            I would not say I would predict that to ever be the case. But, I would not be surprised if it did happen. Now, five outfielders (with Wade or Torreyes having the ability to fill in) is plenty. That is why trading Frazier would be acceptable.

            Hicks and Ellsbury are the two big ones. Stanton not as much since his last injury was in 2016 and it was only a mild strain that made him miss time. However, he does have an injury history other than the freak accident of being drilled in the face. Ellsbury would have had a healthy 2017 had it not been for a concussion.

            I would agree with you, Hicks is the biggest red flag out of the six outfielders on the roster.

          • ricter

            Yep, good call on all points. I agree with you here.

            I guess McKinney would be an emergency option if everyone else is laid up on the DL…

            But he could be gone before Frazier in a deal for Fulmer or Cole.

            And just wait: Cashman has another salary dump coming, and he is going to fill out the rotation and get you stability at CF, 3rd, and 2nd.

  • ricter

    I have said since last July that the only team that Stanton makes sense going to is the Yankees, because they have the financial space and the prospects to get it done.

    Cashman is a genius. He pulled this deal off and I would have given the Marlins at least Abreu and he was able to give up pieces that never would have seen the majors in Pins, and also cleared the roster spot for Torres.

    I can’t fathom why fans of this team don’t like this deal. Stanton slides in as a really dangerous clean up hitter, surrounded by Judge, Bird, Gregorious, and Sanchez. How can anyone NOT love that line-up? That is down right scary because just a short time ago, Greg Bird was supposed to be an all-star, big-time first baseman, and he did show some huge clutch-hitting promise against the best pitching staffs in baseball this past october.

    I said he was coming to NY, and I actually got laughed at! But this is a great thing for fans and if we remember that Stanton had no protection in the Marlins line-up last year, and that Greg Bird was hurt most of last year, and that Sanchez was really in his first full season…then we are looking at a strong line up that really has no holes.

    I want to say something about Judge. This idea that he can’t repeat or come close to what he did last year is insane. He hit 52 HRs and walked 127 times after having an awesome July and August. Think about that for a second: how many players can literally disappear for two months (he likely was affected by that shoulder injury) and still come back to break a rookie HR record in the middle of a pennant race? Now that he will have some more time at DH I will think he will have a pretty darn good year. There are those saying he won’t even hit 30 HRs this year, which I think is nuts. Judge’s line this coming year will be around 45 HRs and 150 walks, with a drop in his K’s. He actually had a better OPS than Stanton, and more walks, so I expect him to bat #2 in this lineup.

    Mike, erm, Giancarlo Stanton will hit 50ish HRs and drive in around 140 if he stays healthy.

    This guy, on this team, right now, makes the Yankees a really scary team. The assumptions are that they will tank next year, that Judge is getting sent down, that Sanchez is a dumb ball player, and that Bird will be injured the whole year is just insanity and it is prevalent all over the internet. I will go on record and say right now that Judge and Stanton protecting Bird in this line up will result in a 40+ HR break-out season for Bird, with a .270+/.400+/.570+ slash.

    That’s all I have to say about this!

    PS, great article, again. Well written and well researched.

    • ricter

      …and let’s not forget that Louis Severino has a shot at finishing top 3 for the Cy Young, and they still have the top bullpen in baseball.

      This trade makes everyone better.

    • Griffin Fuller

      Thanks for the kind words Ricter. The only reason why adding Stanton did not make any sense for the Yankees was the gluttony of MLB outfielders that the Yankees had. Gardner, Ellsbury, Hicks, Judge, and Frazier all are MLB ready seemingly. Obviously, Stanton is more valuable than some of those guys combined, but I digress. Even without Stanton, the Yankees had a great offense. But now, it is dangerous.

      As I mentioned in the article, Sanchez will be the main beneficiary to this deal. He (and Greg Bird) will see better pitches than Stanton and Judge will (as long as pitchers hit their spots).

      While your point about Judge’s terrible July and August is a good point, there is always a chance that Judge can regress. A lot of his upside with OBP is a mentality. Judge probably could have reached base 20-30 times last season if he did not have those at-bats where he went up there, took strike one down the middle, and then swung at two slides in the dirt. His approach is the key. That was the big difference from 2016 to most of 2017. His bad two months were partially due to his shoulder, but also due to his poor pitch selection coming back.

      • ricter

        Your point in that last paragraph is likely more proof that Girardi may have had different plans for these younger players. Judge was taking a lot of cues from Girardi, and I think Girardi was micro-managing him too much.

        Judge is still only 170+ games into his Major League career. So, I expect him to adjust and evolve. He is a very smart dude and he was able to make adjustments on the fly last year.

        You, being a pitcher, might be interested in my last point:

        I watched almost every Yankee game last year, save for a break mid-season to work on a work-related project. I watched a few other teams’ games as well. I would watch games on TV + MLB Gameday. I noticed something that a few analysts suggested: That the MLB strike zone changed mid-season. Here is why I think there is credence to this: Judge in April, May, and much of June was getting a lot of balls called in the lower part of the zone, so he saw a ton of higher fastballs that he was crushing. At the same time, Tanaka didn’t get ANY strikes called in the lower part of the zone. It was a topic of conversation how he looked fine, his mechanics seemed OK, and he simply was not getting the lower zone calls.

        Then, all of the sudden, about 2 weeks before the break, Tanaka starts pitching well and Judge is swinging at pitches that he was laying off just a few days before. And I noticed that low-zone strike throwers like Tanaka were getting calls. The post season showcased this a lot as well. Pitches that were called balls in May were strikes in July, August, and again in October. Maybe I am over thinking this, but I swear, I matched it up with gameday and pitch tracking, and it seemed to hold water.

        So, based on that, then 2018 for Judge and Tanaka, who went in opposite directions all year, should come down to which strike zone MLB is calling and enforcing. And even with that, Judge was able to crush 52 HRs. I think he will taper off on his HRs because he will make those adjustments you discussed, and get 140-150 walks. 127 walks for a rookie is still insane, and he lead the league…so, if he walks 120+ times next year, I won’t complain at all. No rookie has ever hit more HR or walked more than him in a season, so I am sure he will get better as he enters his late 20’s.

        • Griffin Fuller

          The point about the strike zone is interesting. I try to watch all of the Yankee games that I can, but living in Florida makes it difficult at times when I do not have MLB At-Bat.

          Tanaka’s season was more a roller coaster rather than a tale of two halves. He would string together 4-5 good starts then have 4-5 bad starts then have 4-5 good starts then 4-5 bad starts. The reason why his numbers look bad is because his bad starts were train wrecks (i.e. Mother’s Day against the Astros). When Tanaka gets in trouble, he is unable to throw his splitter effectively. That is why he was dominate in the playoffs. His splitter was biting well and remained low in the zone. Tanaka is hit around whenever his splitter is being left up in the zone.

          As for Judge, his slumping that game in July and August also came from the fact that he was missing pitches. Balls that he was hitting well in April-June (and September) were being fouled back to the net. Could that be a factor of worrying about a low zone? Perhaps. He also was pulling off more during those months. Judge naturally pulls off the ball to begin with, but it was more drastic during his two bad months. That probably was due to his shoulder. It looked as if he was compensating for something when he pulled off so much. A bum should could be an explanation.

          For the playoffs, the umpiring was poor across the board. Strike zones were inconsistent. As a former player, an inconsistent umpire is the worst. I think almost every player would agree that even if an umpire is overly tight or open, as long as it goes both ways for all nine innings, then there is less of an issue. But sometimes it felt like the strike zones for some of these umpires were floating around.