MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Manny Machado, Giancarlo Stanton and More

Trade talks are heating up in MLB, and the latest rumors ahead of the 2017 Winter Meetings center around two of the biggest stars in the game.

Giancarlo Stanton has been a prominent name in trade talks for quite some time now, but recent buzz indicates that his situation is moving closer to a conclusion. Meanwhile, Manny Machado's name has surfaced with the final year of his contract coming up.

Moving both would certainly alter the landscape of MLB, but how feasible are these possibilities?

Let us delve into these rumblings and analyze what effect they could have on the league if true.

Where Does Stanton Stand?

The constantly fluid trade developments for Stanton took another turn late Thursday night, as his list of destinations seemingly shrank.

Per Craig Mish of SiriusXM Sports, Stanton approved the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees as teams he would waive his no-trade rights for. 

This list is intriguing for several reasons, starting with the fact that it does not include the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals, two teams that met with Stanton and have often been linked with him.

The Cardinals in particular made a strong offer, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which included top pitching prospects Sandy Alcantara or Jack Flaherty and taking on the 10 years, roughly $295 million remaining on Stanton's mammoth contract.

However, both the Cardinals and Giants are in unclear territory for Stanton, despite each making an offer the Miami Marlins would accept, per Mish:

Stanton has also apparently made it clear that he wants to compete for championships for the foreseeable future. His four preferred destinations made up the league championship matchups last season, and each has a core in place to contend for the next several years. Yet all four have serious obstacles that could prevent such a trade from going down.

The Astros have a bevy of young talent they need to lock up on the heels of their World Series run. Considering they were slightly below the league average last season in payroll, it seems unlikely they could afford even two-thirds of Stanton's contract while holding on to other key pieces.

The Cubs and Dodgers are in similar situations to each other after representing the National League each of the past two seasons. The Dodgers had the top payroll in baseball last season with Julio Arias, Cody Bellinger, Yasmani Grandal, Corey Seager and Chris Taylor all now needing new contracts. Acquiring Stanton would require moving several core players, which does not seem logical considering Los Angeles' success in recent years.

Chicago has Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Ian Happ, Kyle Hendricks, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber all needing raises. Unless they want to move two or three of these players for one monster contract, the Cubs would be wise to look elsewhere.

The Yankees are the scariest destination considering the power they already have in their lineup. ESPN's Buster Olney provided a snapshot of what the Bronx Bombers could field if Stanton were added to the mix:

However, New York just got Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia's huge deals off of their payroll, and adding Stanton's money would put it in a tough spot with the group of young stars coming up that will soon need big contracts.

Jacoby Ellsbury's $21.1 million annual contract would have to be included in such a deal, and even still the Yankees would have an outfield logjam of Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge and Stanton along with top prospects Estevan Florial and Clint Frazier knocking on the door.

As of now, it appears that either the Marlins will have to take a lesser deal or Stanton will have to expand his list to make a trade work. While wanting to play for a contender is understandable, there is a reason why those teams are elite in the first place. They cannot simply move their rosters around to accommodate a player like Stanton.

Unless a major development unfolds, this situation may drag on further.

Machado Possibly Available

A 25-year-old third baseman who can hit and has a rocket arm is something every team would sign up for. Well, it seems one could be available shortly.

According FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, the Baltimore Orioles are taking calls on Manny Machado. The superstar is a free agent after this upcoming season, and while the team wants to keep him, it may not be willing to dish out a contract similar to Stanton's, per Heyman.

The Orioles are not shopping Machado, but they are listening to other teams. Heyman adds that the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies are among the teams expected to have the most interest. 

In just over five seasons, Machado is batting .279 with 138 homers and 406 RBI. Even in a relatively down 2017, the three-time All Star still smacked 33 dingers. Thus, it would obviously take a ton to bring in Machado, but the Phillies and Yankees each have the young talent to do so.

The Yankees are the more interesting option considering they are already built to win a World Series, but they have a crowded infield that would need to be ironed out to fit Machado. The team would hardly hesitate to move Chase Headley, but Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius along with rising stud Gleyber Torres and big bat Miguel Andujar also currently in the fold means several moves would need to happen.

New York is already expected to be a major player for Machado if he hits free agency, but is it content to risk waiting it out just for him to be traded elsewhere and sign a long-term deal? The Yankees have the luxury of possessing so many quality players, particularly in the infield, that they could take this approach.

Rather than trade a roster player or two in addition to a top prospect, the Yankees would be smart to go another year with an infield that brought them to the ALCS while also giving Torres a year to shine. If change is needed, then explore breaking up the infield.

For now, patience is key for a team that does not need to get desperate for talent.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Cardinals Not Done

The Cardinals surely did not put all of their eggs in one basket in terms of roster moves this offseason. Rumor has it that another veteran outfielder could be on the trade block.

Per Heyman, some around MLB believe St. Louis could start shopping Dexter Fowler. Whether this is related to the team's pursuit of Stanton is unknown, but the Cardinals have shown they will trade a recent free agent signing as they moved Mike Leake last year, Heyman noted.

Yet the expectation is the Cardinals would want a trade partner to take on some salary in a Fowler trade, similar to the Leake move.

After winning a World Series with the Cubs in 2016, Fowler was the Cardinals' top free agent addition when he signed a five-year deal worth $82.5 million. While the soon-to-be 32-year-old put up career highs in homers, 18, and RBI, 64, in his lowest number of plate appearances, 491, since his rookie season, his age and term on his contract may be regrettable to St. Louis.

The Cardinals may want to maximize their return on Fowler before he potentially declines over the next few years. For a roster looking to get younger, a quality position prospect could be enough to ship out Fowler.

A team like the Colorado Rockies could be a destination given their need for a third outfielder. Fowler could slot in as a nice option in the bottom of the order for a team that is already on the rise following a playoff berth last season. 

Adding Fowler would solidify an already stout lineup, and it would allow the Rockies to focus on bolstering their pitching staff in free agency.

Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.com.