MLB Trade Rumors: Mariners Contact Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton

Could the Mariners be making a play towards Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton?

Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports recently tweeted that Seattle has contacted Miami about Stanton's availability. However, Morosi also stated that sources doubted anything would occur.

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Mariners have contacted Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, but one source I talked with doubts a trade will occur.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 1, 2013"

The uber-talented 23-year-old has been the subject of many rumors this offseason ever since Miami Marlins general manager Jeffrey Loria traded most of his major league talent to Toronto in order to dump salary.

The move left the Marlins with very little MLB-ready talent on the current roster and an infuriated young star:

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Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plain & Simple

— Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012

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After the trade in November, Marlins ownership made it clear that Stanton would not be going anywhere, as reported by Jon Heyman at CBS Sports. However, ESPN's Jim Bowden recently reported that Assistant General Manager Dan Jennings stated the Marlins would listen to any offer for Stanton, but were not looking to deal him away:

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Dan Jennings Marlins AGM told us they will listen to all offers on Giancarlo Stanton but they're not shopping him and don't want to move him

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) December 30, 2012

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Now there is a big difference between listening to offers and considering offers, but this does show that general manager Jack Zduriencik is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to improving Seattle's anemic offense.

It also shows that no prospect in the Marinerss farm system is untouchable, as a trade for Stanton would almost certainly have to start with highly-rated prospects such as catcher Mike Zunino and pitcher Taijuan Walker.

Even that may not be nearly enough. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reported that almost every other team in the MLB has contacted the Marlins about Stanton's availability, with one source stating that it would be "easier to list who hasn't called."

It would be hard for any team not to be interested in Stanton. He's one of the top young hitters in the game and already has 93 homers in his first two-and-a-half seasons in the big leagues. Along with that, Stanton has four more years before he hits free agency and is very disgruntled with the direction the Marlins are going in.

If the Mariners are really serious about Stanton, it will probably take a package of prospects that would dwarf the talent sent to Baltimore for Erik Bedard back in 2008, and even that may not convince the Marlins to move Stanton.

At the very least, it shows again that ownership remains aggressive in trying to upgrade Seattle's offense. But talk is cheap, and Mariners fans will not be happy until they start seeing deals, not rumors.