By: Nathaniel Ascher and Harold Klapper
On December 9th, 2017, the Yankees traded 2B Starlin Castro, RP Jorge Guzman, and SS Jose Devers to the Marlins for OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton. Since he was the current NL MVP, the Marlins were ripped off by the Yankees and got nowhere near where they should’ve. Could this be because of Derek Jeter wanting to help out the Yankees? Or did the Marlins want to offload Stanton’s 13 year/$325 million contract? Whatever the case may be, the Marlins should’ve gotten a larger return, and after trading many other valuable pieces such as 2B Dee Gordon, and OFs Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, they realized that they should’ve been able to acquire more prospects. Nevertheless, the Yankees were able to acquire a four time all-star, a Home Run Derby Champion, and reigning MVP. But, is Stanton the superstar we all think he is?
If you’re a true superstar you should be able to hit off of the best pitchers in the game. However, that is not the case for Stanton. In 2018 against power pitchers (the best pitchers in strikeouts and walks), Stanton batted .254 with 6 homers in 149 plate appearances. On the other hand, against finesse pitchers (the worst pitchers in strikeouts and walks), Giancarlo hit .267 with 21 homers in 381 plate appearances. This is a discouraging stat, as in the playoffs and games down the stretch you generally face the best pitchers the MLB has to offer. Furthermore, in high leverage situations, Giancarlo batted .239 with 7 homers and a .313 OBP in 134 PA. The Yankees have enough power hitters that hit many HRs and have a low average and are in dire need of a lockdown player who can perform on the biggest stage. Stanton will never be this player, and this is why the Yankees should consider trading him this upcoming season. To further this point, in 22 plate appearances in the postseason, Stanton is a .238 hitter with 1 homer and a .273 OBP. This indicates that Stanton is not clutch, and is exactly the type of player the Yankees don’t need: A power hitter that is not clutch and won’t produce in the postseason.
If Stanton isn’t what the Yankees need then what do they need? An ace. SP Dallas Keuchel still looms on the free agent market, but Keuchel wouldn’t be that much of a significant improvement over a guy like J.A. Happ, for the time being. However, there are a few aces available on the trade market. Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer have been available in talks throughout the entire offseason, and even though the Indians need outfield help, trading for Stanton wouldn’t make much sense as they have to pay guys like Francisco Lindor and Trevor Bauer soon. If the Yankees want to go for Kluber or Bauer, they should be willing to offer Andujar in a potential swap, but due to the fact that the Yankees didn’t sign Machado this offseason, that doesn’t seem likely. Madison Bumgarner, on the other hand, is an intriguing option for the Yankees to go for. He is a bonafide ace with playoff experience and success. The Giants had been heavily pursuing Bryce Harper, which shows that they could be looking for a power bat, a ticket selling machine, and a franchise player to build around: Giancarlo Stanton. Not only does their interest in Harper show these qualities, but it lets people know that they aren’t afraid of 300 million dollar contracts.
Here’s why the Yankees need Bumgarner and would benefit from a trade like this. The Yankees desperately need an ace. For a couple of years, people thought that Luis Severino would be the pitcher the Yankees were looking for, but a horrible second half and a terrible postseason leaves many questions in people's mind. Not only do the Yankees need an ace, but they need fewer players like Stanton. The Yankees hit the most home runs last year at 267 but lacked the skill of rallying for runs, such as other AL competitors like the Red Sox. Although home runs are important, they don’t help teams in clutch situations. The Yankees don’t need someone who can only hit home runs occasionally, they need a player who can consistently get clutch hits. This is why they wouldn’t regress if they traded Stanton from an offensive standpoint. The Yankees have all the home run power they need in players like Aaron Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez, so shouldn’t hesitate in pulling the trigger to trade Stanton. So if the Yankees should trade Stanton, why Bumgarner. The simple answer is that they need an ace, but more importantly, a pitcher who can perform come October. Bumgarner has quite the postseason history, as he is one of the best clutch pitchers of all time. You heard that right, Bumgarner has a ridiculous postseason ERA at 2.11 and has many acclimates to go along with it. In his two wild card games, Bumgarner pitched complete games without giving up a single run. In his three World Series campaigns, and wins, he had an astounding ERA of 0.25 in 36 innings and even won World Series MVP in 2014. With postseason excellence, Bumgarner has everything the Yankees are looking for. If given the opportunity, the Yankees should jump at this trade.
If Bumgarner is excellent in the postseason and an all around ace, it might seem like the Giants have made him untouchable. This is far from the truth as the Giants have been rumored to have tried to trade Bumgarner this last season as they are looking for the face of their franchise. Who better to fill this void than Stanton. The Giants need a player who will draw crowds of people to watch games at the ballpark and on air, so it’s necessary for them to find a superstar similar to the likes of Giancarlo Stanton. A player who can clobber home runs and bring attraction to the team is something the San Francisco Giants desperately need. As a team not destined for the postseason anytime soon, the Giants don’t need to worry about Stanton being clutch, as they will find other players to fill this void in the future. The only thing they need to worry about is him bringing attention to their team, which he will undoubtedly do. In fact, in 121 career PA at Oracle Park, Stanton has a BA of .306 with 9 homers, a 1.048 OPS, and a .372 OBP. Furthermore, he also has a career batting average of over .300 in 3 of the 5 NL West ballparks. Stanton is a better player when he plays against the teams in the NL West, and that would only help the Giants make a push for a playoff spot in the future. This trade would work for both sides and it’s surprising as to how well both players would fit in the opposites team organizations.
Here’s how the trade would work:
In 2019, Bumgarner’s salary is $12 million, while Stanton’s is $25 million. However, Bumgarner is a free agent after the 2019 season, while Stanton is signed through 2027. Just like the trade where the Reds acquired Sonny Gray only if he would agree to an extension, the same would have to be done in this situation with Bumgarner. Seeing that Patrick Corbin got over $20 million AAV and SP Dallas Keuchel is looking for the same, Bumgarner would probably want somewhere between $20 million and $25 million dollars. So, if the Yankees trade Stanton to the Giants, they could sign Bumgarner to a 5yr/$120 million deal, and take on $1 million dollars from Stanton’s contract for the next five years, evening out the salaries. By doing this, this trade is financially sound, and would only make the Giants younger and less injury prone while giving the Yankees the ace they need.
Overall, this trade would have very little downside to either team, yet it is something that is seldom talked about in the media. Stanton fits the Giants’ agenda as he will bring more fans and attention to the ball club, while Bumgarner will give the Yankees the ace they need to make a deep postseason run in the coming years. Hopefully, both teams will come to their senses and pull the trigger. Trading for Stanton would be a GIANT move, so make it happen San Francisco.
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