Report: Phillies have kicked around deal for Marlins' Stanton, Yelich
With the end of their arduous rebuild growing nearer, the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly thinking big as the July 31 trade deadline nears.
Though the deal is unlikely to materialize, the Phillies have internally kicked around the concept of brokering a trade with the Miami Marlins - who are reportedly eager to unload payroll to facilitate the sale of the club - for both Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich and absorbing the $339.5 million or so still owed to the two young stars, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Phillies - who only have one player, Odubel Herrera, on a guaranteed contract beyond the 2017 campaign - haven't expressed to the Marlins any interest in acquiring Stanton, but they have been "vocal," one source said, about their desire to land Yelich, the 25-year-old with a .793 OPS through his first five seasons in the majors.
Salary breakdown, Stanton + Yelich, 2018-2028
| Year | Stanton's salary | Yelich's salary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $25M | $7M | $32M |
| 2019 | $26M | $9.75M | $35.75M |
| 2020 | $26M | $12.5M | $38.5M |
| 2021 | $29M* | $14M | $43M |
| 2022 | $29M | $15M*** | $44M |
| 2023 | $32M | - | $32M |
| 2024 | $32M | - | $32M |
| 2025 | $32M | - | $32M |
| 2026 | $29M | - | $29M |
| 2027 | $25M | - | $25M |
| 2028 | $25M** | - | $25M** |
*Player may opt out of his contract following the 2020 season
**Team option with a $10-million buyout
***Team option with a $1.25-million buyout
To pry both Stanton and Yelich from the Marlins, one source said, the Phillies would be willing to absorb other players Miami's front office may want to dispose of - like, for instance, veteran reliever Junichi Tazawa, who is owed $7 million next year.
Any deal, however, would require approval from Stanton, the four-time All-Star with a career .899 OPS who received a full no-trade clause in the 13-year, $325-million extension he signed in 2014.