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| Giancarlo Fever Gripping Hub? |
Despite denials from both sides,
rumors persist (
and we stress they are still in the rumor stage) about a potential blockbuster trade between the Red Sox and Marlins. The current configuration being floated is for Boston to send third baseman
Will Middlebrooks, center fielder
Jackie Bradley, Jr. and dynamic starting pitching prospect
Henry Owens to Miami in exchange for
Giancarlo Stanton. It's an interesting proposition. The Red Sox could move
Xander Bogaerts (one of their few 'untouchable' prospects) to third and put
Stephen Drew back at shortstop (of course, his re-signing via
Scott Boras would actually have to happen). Stanton would go to right and
Shane Victorino could move to center. The
real sacrifice would be losing Owens, who could emerge as a dominant Number 1 or Number 2 starter in the not-too-distant future.
Baseball America lists Owens as the organization's
number two overall prospect—just behind Bogaerts. Of course, with Stanton, Boston would get a 24-year old budding superstar—a guy who actually slugged
.608 in 2012, with 27 HRs. In 2013, he 'slumped' to .480 slugging and 24 HRs. He has been injury-prone in his young career, but a healthy right-handed hitting Stanton would be a 'monster' (no pun intended) in the middle of the Red Sox lineup for years to come.
