Giancarlo Stanton: "I Do Not Like This at All”

[gotoHcarolina52]

Giancarlo Stanton was home in Westwood, Calif., on Tuesday when he heard the news that five of his teammates were being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. His first thought hadn't changed by Thursday night.

"I do not like this at all," Stanton said. "This is the 'winning philosophy?' Then to say it's not about money? What is the motivation? There comes a breaking point. I know how I feel. I can't imagine how the city and the fans feel."

Stanton, who turned 23 two weeks before the deal, reflected on last winter when the Marlins signed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and John Buck.

"They talked about that, a winning philosophy, and how they were building a winner to play in the new ballpark," Stanton said. "They talked about me and Jose. They talked about how they'd have Jose and [Emilio Bonifacio] and Hanley [Ramirez] in front of me and how they would go get a bat to protect me.

"Jose, Bonifacio, Hanley ... all three are gone now. I had people warn me that something like this could happen, but it runs against the competitive nature every athlete has, that nature that everything is about winning. This kind of thing is what gets talked about all the time around this team. Former Marlins come back and they warn us. It gets talked about during the stretch, in the clubhouse, after games, on the road. Again, I do not like this at all."

Marlins president David Samson said during a radio interview this week that the Marlins' last-place finish in 2012 prompted this trade.

"We sat down after the season and talked about the team and said, 'We cannot keep finishing in last place. It doesn't make sense.' We lost 93 games, and we entrusted all of our scouts and development people and upper-level baseball people and said, 'What can we do to possibly start this to turn around? What needs to happen? How can it work?'"

At one point Tuesday night, Stanton sent out an uncharacteristic tweet. He is one of the game's brightest stars, who by the age of 22 had hit 37 homers in a season despite missing 40 games because of knee and oblique injuries. Stanton led the National League in slugging at .608. His average home run traveled farther than any other player in either league.

Stanton always plays the game hard, without flair, without the need for attention. He is unfailingly modest, which made the tweet so unusual: "Alright, I'm [ticked] off!!! Plain & Simple"

In 2013, in his fourth Major League season, Stanton will be playing for his fifth manager and working with his fourth hitting coach. He has a close friend remaining in Ricky Nolasco, who soon could be gone, as well.

Stanton chose baseball rather than being the next great football tight end because of his love of the game, that joy of going to Dodger Stadium with his father.

"The one thing I didn't understand was the Minor Leagues, how that part of the business works," Stanton said of his younger days. "I'd see Todd Hollandsworth out there one game, and the next game he wouldn't be there, and I didn't understand. I didn't get the Minor League thing. I didn't understand that part of the business."

Now Giancarlo Stanton is experiencing the business side of the game.

"I can deal with losing as long as one is trying to win," Stanton said. "If you're losing and you're not trying to win, that is not fair. I play to have fun, I play to win, I play for my teammates.

"Then to say it's not about money, what is the motivation? Where is that winning philosophy? How many times do you have to be told something and have it change before you realize what's going on? It's like the boy who cried wolf.

"There's nothing I can do. I'm not going to change the way I work out in the offseason and prepare. I'm not going to change the way I approach the game. I'm not going to change the way I play every day."

Samson and Marlins manager Mike Redmond chose not to comment on Stanton's reaction to the proposed trade, which still is pending approval by the Commissioner's Office.

Last winter, the Marlins were unable to sign Albert Pujols, among others, because they would not give no-trade clauses. The deals they signed with Reyes and Buehrle were back-loaded, which allowed them to later move the bulk of the investments to other teams.

"Maybe that's the business everywhere," Stanton said. "But I would like to think it's not that way. Baseball is about winning. It is about people. When it's not about winning and not about human beings, I don't want to be a part of that."

In other words, the "breaking point" Stanton sees approaching probably will become a part of the Marlins' business plan at the end of the 2013 season. The strapping outfielder will be eligible for arbitration next fall, and if he stays healthy and gets enough pitches to hit to continue the upward graph of what eventually could be a Hall of Fame career, he is probably going to be in line for enough money to push the Marlins to entertain multi-player offers for the 23-year-old star, especially given that Stanton is not likely to sign a long-term deal to stay in Miami.

For the time being, the Marlins are not planning to trade Stanton. They also have not been in contact with Stanton's representatives about a long-term deal.

The last two offseasons, Stanton has gone to Europe to explore, learn and allow his mind to expand past the competitive juices that drive him. He has traveled to Japan; he eventually wants to see the Pyramids and the Middle East. But this weekend, his escape will be the USC-UCLA game: His high school teammate, Wes Horton, is a defensive end for USC, where Stanton would have played football had the Marlins not drafted him and offered him the opportunity to play the other sport he loves.

Anyone in South Florida who cares about the Marlins now has no choice but to believe that Stanton is going to be no different than Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Mike Piazza, Moises Alou, Al Leiter, Josh Beckett, Ramirez, Reyes, Buehrle, et al.

The shame of it is that Stanton logically should be the face of Miami baseball. Stanton is thoughtful, civil, decent and plays the game the right way, not to mention at a skill level about which most players only dream. Now, one first wonders if baseball will ever be to Miami kids what the Dodgers were to a young Giancarlo, then one wonders where his historic identity will be planted.

Most of all, Stanton is human, not oil on canvas, and that he does not like. Not at all.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[Jeffy25]

He is 100% right, I would be way pissed if I was him

[sexicano31]

Its unfortunate that he cant do anything about it. Maybe he can try to force something by continually speaking out or even refusing to play. Who knows

[GroundAttack25]

Agree 100%. Put all this talent together with a new stadium, new uniforms and all and to finish in last place then trade half your all stars to another league after one year is not a smart move and makes the organization look bad.

[Dodgerbluemmm24]

Can't blame him at all. Any player would angry about what has happened.

There's not a whole lot he can do though, is there?

[cuttydoesit6]

castro, jackson, n a few prospects, come to chi staton!!!!!

[sager729]

Quit baseball sign with the Chicago Bears!

[metswon69]

He has zero leverage to do anything about it.

He is making 480k and isn't arbitration eligible till 2014.

The Marlins aren't dealing him yet.

[MetsFanatic19]

Much respect gained for him. He deserves to play for a true winner.

[SFrush90]

Like the Giants

[dtmagnet]

I really feel for the guy, he just needs to keep doing what he does and get the heck out of there as soon as he can.

[Vampirate]

As soon as Stanton becomes a FA he is GONE.

Miami will be in such a state of weakness when trying to deal him as well.

Also, the Miami front office should get used to his *****ing now. What is the front office going to do, fine him, trade him, void his contract. I bet Stanton would love it if his contract was void. Imagine the suitors lining up to pay for his services.

Jeffrey Loria not only screwed his team now, but probably for at least a decade or more to come.

[Carlznerson]

Bryce Harper has already invited him to join the Nats on twitter lol

[MetsFanatic19]

Like the Giants

If they were willing to actually improve the team, he would be perfect for the Mets.

[gotoHcarolina52]

If they were willing to actually improve the team, he would be perfect for the Mets.

I disagree. Citi Field's fences aren't deep enough. Stanton likes a challenge.