The Red Sox Need To Make A Big Push For Giancarlo Stanton

if clubhouse scuttlebutt is to be believed, many think this is where stanton lands, even ahead of sf, stl and phil. https://t.co/HSTULb9jLI

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 19, 2017

I read this story earlier today when it grabbed my attention in world of Twitter and now that there is a legit, credited writer saying this, it just seems so much more of a real possibility.

Listen, it’s no secret why the Red Sox need to go after this guy. It’s simple; power.

As a team the Red Sox ranked 27th in home runs per game sitting at 1.04. For a team with a left field that is as long as a little league field, that is flat out disgusting. And not to mention, a team with a guy named Hanley Ramirez who glorifies himself as a home run slugging maniac. Notice how I said himself because nobody in Boston feels that way.

If we want to keep naming hitters who were underwhelming on the year, talk about Mookie Betts. During the 2016 season the guy was the runner up to Mike Trout for AL MVP. And in 2017, he showed some pop, but not as much as we were hoping for. He jacked up 24 bombs and finished the season with a .262 batting average. You want me to put that in simple terms for you? He puked on himself.

But there is no doubt in my mind that Mookie won’t have a bounce back year next season. And as for Ramirez, stick him at the five spot in the lineup because that’s all he is. What pisses me off is that he thinks of himself as this slugger who comes up and people expect him to hit moon shots every time he’s at the plate like Manny used to. Well guess what Hanley, you whiff at almost every meatball down the pipe and your damn helmet won’t stay on your head in the box because you consistently pull your head out. It makes me flat out want to stab my eyes out. And you know what, whatever, eventually he’ll just pop the ball up anyway and half ass it down to first.

But like I said, he would be a fine number five hitter. And that’s where Giancarlo Stanton comes in.

It’s no secret that Stanton wants no part of that inevitable rebuild in Miami now that Jeter’s running things. Stanton wants to win for once and that’s understandable. And because of that rebuild, the team is most likely going to be shopping him anyway just so they can cut bait and drop that monster deal he has.

Stanton’s a genetic freak. There’s no other way to put it. He is the LeBron James of baseball in regards to stature and just being a pure athlete who looks like he was built by the hands of God himself, or herself, shoutout feminists, and was placed on earth to do athletic crap.

Last season Stanton stacked up an average of .281 and paired that with 59 trips around the bases. And you know what? At Fenway Park, I guarantee you that number would have been at 65 just because of those week popups to left that always find their way into the seats.

In 2015; Are you ready for this? Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13 year 325 million dollar deal with the Miami Marlins.

And for the most part, you owe this guy around 25,000,000 dollars per season up until 2028. He’s 27 right now so that money is coming to him until he is about 37, 38. But let’s be honest, at the rate the MLB is going that is going to be a small contract by the end of it. That is unless the Super Volcano under Yellow Stone National Park doesn’t kill us first.

The thing is about Giancarlo, he is the ticket to competing with your hottest competitions’ power in the AL East; The Yankees.

Right now the Yankees lineup is staggered with the likes of Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge. Two guys who you have the urge to be careful around at the plate because a slip up could mean a ball landing on the highway.

And like I already brought up, the Red Sox power this past season was absolute garbage. There was none. It was shocking that a team who had one of the most high powered offenses in 2016 came to a screeching halt over the offseason.

So okay, this all sounds nice, right? Giancarlo Stanton coming to Boston and repping that white and red, but who would you have to give up? Before I mention that, I will say that the leading suitors seem to be Philly, San Francisco, And St. Louis. And here’s the catch… Stanton has a no trade claus. And if you don’t know what that means, it basically says that in this trade insanity that will surround this story, Stanton can essentially choose where he wants to be next. And because of that, and due to the fact that he is very upfront that he wants to win, I’m going to go ahead and cross the Phillies right off the list. Sorry guys, at least you have Carson Wentz?

A major wrench in this plan is the fact that Davey D has traded away it feels like almost every single valuable asset in the farm system. Moncada could have been a guy who could land Stanton, but he was packaged for Sale. Which I love so I’m not saying that was a weak move. Michael Kopech was also put in that deal and was a hot commodity on the trade market. Anderson Espinoza was sent to San Diego for Drew Pomeranz. And millions of other prospects are just gone. McCoy Stadium is a ghost town complete with the tumble weeds and my buddies grandma.

So who could be left? Let’s look at it. Jackie Bradley Junior and Xander Bogaerts are my clear two first choices. Bogaerts is 25 and JBJ is 27. With some experience in the league and very affordable contracts at the moment, they would be the perfect candidates to place into an environment with your ballplayers who have very governable minds.

That clearly wouldn’t be enough and just like I said about the Celtics, there is going to have to be a move that is going to hurt the fans. And that player, in my mind, might have to be Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia has been incredible over his tenure here in Boston. And it kinda even sucks writing this. No matter how much crap he’s gotten over the years for his attitude, he is a bulldog out there in the field. He is the definition of a Boston athlete, but I think his time is up. He is the perfect mentor for a team looking to rebuild. Pedy is old and worn down, but has extensive knowledge on the game and can still produce at a high level.

But if that isn’t enough, there is one more piece that could either be added, or more likely swapped for Pedy, and that is Rafael Devers. Devers was a monster this season and at 20 years old, proved his worth to the league. The fact of the matter is though that a guy like Stanton just won’t come easy.

In 58 games at the major league level, Devers was able to crack 10 homers and hit for a solid .284. The kid is 20 years old and has the swing of Vladimir Guerrero. But if the Marlins are seriously looking to rebuild for the future, you could potentially make Devers the center piece of it all. And from what I saw from him this season, he is somebody who has the potential to develop into a future star in this league.

I’ll sum everything up with this. The Red Sox have the pieces and it has been clear with the addition of Dave Dombrowski himself, and the players he has accumulated, that Red Sox ownership is not interested in building a team who is going to be good in three years. They want another championship right now. And as much as I love Devers, if he has to go he has to go. It’s as simple as that. Stanton can be that guy to put you over the top. And if you don’t have to give up Mookie or Benintendi, how scary of an outfield is that? Benintendi in left, Mookie in center, Stanton in right. My God.

Make this happen Dombrowski. This isn’t a question of, should this happen? It’s the fact that is needs to happen. You have the assets. Make this your final big piece to a championship that has fleeted you for years.

Written By: Nick Quaglia (@NickQuag)