Report: Red Sox Out Of Giancarlo Stanton Sweepstakes
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox' already-slim chances of getting Giancarlo Stanton are now down to none.
SiriusXM's Craig Mish, who has been reporting extensively on trade talks involving the Marlins slugger and multiple major league clubs, tweeted on Sunday that the Red Sox are "no longer in discussion" to acquire the reigning National League MVP. The Sox were reportedly considered a "longshot" all along.
Previous reports said the Red Sox had preliminary talks with the Marlins about Stanton, but those discussions had dropped off in recent weeks after the Red Sox' interest was "tepid". The Marlins' asking price in terms of both prospects and money were reportedly too high for the Red Sox to move forward with any deal for Stanton, which could be why they turned their attention to the White Sox' Jose Abreu.
The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are now the apparent front-runners to trade for Stanton, who has expressed interest in joining a coastal team and reportedly prefers to play for the Dodgers more than any other team. Mish added on Sunday that he expects a Stanton trade to be finalized within the next 2-3 days.
The Red Sox have also been ruled out for prized Japanese free agent Shohei Ohtani, who reportedly prefers to play on the West Coast and/or in a smaller market.