New York Yankees: Acquiring Giancarlo Stanton was a no brainer

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman is at it again, this time acquiring the reigning 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton to go along with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird in a much improved batting lineup. 

In return, the Marlins reportedly will receive second baseman Starlin Castro and prospects Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers. The Marlins will also give the Yankees $30m of the $295m remaining on Stanton's deal. 

This deal is reminiscent of the one that Cashman made for closer Aroldis Chapman two seasons ago. The market value for Chapman wasn't high because of allegations of a domestic abuse case and Cashman swooped in and got Chapman for nothing. 

Fast forward to today and Cashman was at it again. The circumstances are different with Stanton, but the Marlins were in a difficult spot and were running out of options. Cashman and the Yankees called in to check on Stanton and the next thing we know he is dealt.

Cashman going forward with this deal was an absolute no-brainer and one that if it the opportunity presented itself to go through it, he would have been foolish not to go through with it. 

How we got here

The Stanton/Miami saga was one that reached a breaking point Friday afternoon with Stanton rejecting potential trades to the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. That's what happens when a player has a no-trade clause, the player dictates where he wants to go. 

Where the Marlins went wrong here is that they didn't ask Stanton for a list of teams he wanted to go to. Instead, the team negotiated trades with organizations like the Cardinals and Giants not knowing if he would accept a deal there. Ultimately he didn't, and the Marlins had to transition to another suitor. The Yankees then surfaced.

The Yankees had everything that the Marlins were looking for in a trade partner. They had the money so they could take on the contract of Stanton and they had the depth in their farm system to pull off a major deal. The beauty of this deal from New York's perspective is that they didn't give up any of their top prospects. 

A no-brainer for the Yankees

For the Yankees, this trade was a trade they didn't have to make, but rather a trade they couldn't pass up. 

An area where the Yankees struggled in the ALCS was that their offense went missing on the road. Adding a threat like Stanton shouldn't allow for the offense to go missing because there's more of a threat in the Yankee lineup. Putting Stanton in a lineup with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, and Greg Bird makes the Yankees a favorite in the American League because of the damage they can provide offensively. 

Where the Yankees come out big winners here is that they will still be able to reach their goal of staying under the luxury tax. With Castro being sent to Miami and DH Matt Holliday most likely out of the picture in 2018, Stanton's contract will amount to the same amount of salary both players would earn this season. Assuming Holliday earned another $13m contract (highly unlikely) and add Castro's $10m salary for the upcoming season, that's just $2m less than what Stanton will earn according to Spotrac. Also, CC Sabathia and Brian McCann's salaries are officially off the books this offseason. 

When the Boston Red Sox made the Chris Sale trade, Brian Cashman called that deal a trade that a team one piece away from winning a championship would make. The Yankees making this deal for Stanton is another example of that. The team now has a hole at second base, but that can be addressed later. There will be a press conference to kick off the Winter Meetings regarding the Yankees and Stanton at 2 pm ET today, so perhaps then.

Either way, one thing is certain. The Yankees made a genius move.