Giancarlo Stanton: Where Fantasy Owners Should Want Him in 2013

He makes diving catches when he’s not hitting homers. Image courtesy of flickr.

Okay, we know from his Twitter page that Giancarlo Stanton is not happy with the Marlins-Blue Jays talent dump.

Frankly, I don’t blame him. The only people who should be as pissed off as Stanton are his fantasy owners. While he’ll still hit plenty of homers in 2013, he’s not going to have much of a chance to score runs that aren’t homers, or drive in any runners other than himself with those long balls, especially if Logan Morrison is also moved.

While chances of him getting moved are not great, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is suggesting that a possible reprieve may be on the way.

"The Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Cubs, and many more are inquiring, according to a major league source."

Let’s get right to it.

First of all, any of these places would be better than Miami. For starters, he’ll have more talent around him in every one of those places. The Cubs and Red Sox may not be great teams next year, but guys like David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and (probably) Jacoby Ellsbury will still be in Boston, while Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo in Chicago are better than any of his current teammates, even if you include Morrison. 

But there’s one other thing to consider. Every one of those parks will be much better for power numbers than Marlins Park. Stanton can hit the ball out of any park in the league, but just about any ball he hit to the warning track in Miami would have been out at any of those other parks, unless of course it was a line drive. In which case, the Green Monster would probably keep it in the park. 

So, if he is traded away from South Beach to one of these teams, where should fantasy owners want him to go? Before we take a look, know that we’re looking at 2013, not necessarily beyond that. Get it? Got it? Good! Okay, without further adieu. 

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs were one of the worst offensive teams in the league in 2012. They barely cracked .300 in team OBP and while they do have a strong Minor League system, I have a funny feeling that 2013 will look a lot like 2012. If men aren’t getting on base, the RBI chances would not be plentiful for Stanton. 

The team slugging percentage was also a paltry .378, which wouldn’t bode well for many runs being scored other than the ones he’d drive in himself. This could change a little if Rizzo was batting behind him but even then, after Rizzo the cupboard is pretty bare. 

If we were talking about a dynasty league where you can keep Stanton for several years, then Stanton in Chicago would certainly be more intriguing. As it is, he’d still hit some mighty impressive homers on to Waveland Avenue, like Dave Kingman used to do. His 2013 fantasy value would be better in Chicago than Miami, but not over any other destination. 

New York Yankees

First of all, after Chicago, these teams are pretty bunched up. It wouldn’t take much for these teams to be flipped around. But the Yankees fall behind the other teams for a few reasons.

1. While Stanton could hit 40 homers at any home park, Yankee Stadium is much better for lefties than righties.
2. I can’t help but see parallels between the 2012 Yankees and the 2011 Red Sox.

The Yankees just looked old in October. Granted, in the playoffs you’re facing better pitching than in the regular season, but that team just looks old. Yes, I expect Derek Jeter to have a strong comeback from his injury and Robinson Cano is still as solid of a hitter as there is in the game.

But that lineup has some serious question marks. Alex Rodriguez couldn’t even find his way into the starting lineup for some crucial playoff games. Mark Teixeira hasn’t hit over .260 since 2009, although he still does get on base at a strong rate. Ichiro Suzuki and Nick Swisher are both free agents.

The point is that I’m not seeing as much depth in the lineup as we’re used to seeing in New York. Where he’d bat in that lineup is a bit of a question, but I don’t see great protection there. One more reliable hitter in addition to Giancarlo would do wonders.

Philadelphia Phillies

Much of what I said about the Yankees applies to the Phillies as well. Yes, their park is good for hitters, but it’s better for lefties. Yes, guys like Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley are still dangerous, but they’ve shown some signs of aging over the last few seasons.

I’m guessing Stanton would probably bat in between Howard and Utley, which would provide some protections. But neither of those players can be counted on to play 150 games in a season, and that’s where the lack of protection becomes an issue.

The Phillies may be making some more moves this offseason and if they did one of those in addition to bringing in Stanton, my opinion would change. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’d be valuable in Philly as is, but not quite up to the rate of the next two teams.

Boston Red Sox

The age/injury issues of the protection around him would still be a concern here. Boston gets an edge over New York and Philly because Fenway Park is a little more beneficial to right handed sluggers. Yes, the Green Monster would keep a few in the park, but Stanton is a flat out launcher who would lick his chops at the chance to flip balls over that short porch.

He’s not as complete of a hitter, but the power stroke reminds me of Manny Ramirez. To give you an idea of what you can expect for power with that comparison, in seven complete seasons with the Red Sox, Ramirez averaged better than 36 homers and 114 RBI.

With Ortiz, Ellsbury, and Pedroia, there are concerns with the health of the protection Stanton would get, but that’s true with the Yankees and Phillies as well.

Baltimore Orioles

One year ago at this time, I don’t think I would have put the Orioles over the Yankees and Red Sox in terms of ideal fantasy destinations for a hitter, but a lot’s changed. So, why do I like the Orioles so much?

Chris Davis and Adam Jones both hit over 30 homers in 2012. Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds, and J.J. Hardy all topped 20. Heck, Nick Markakis slugged 13 in only 104 games. Stanton wold go right in the middle of a few of those guys, which would provide plenty of RBI chances and runs scored.

Also, Camden Yards would take a backseat to none of these parks in terms of what to expect from home runs. Yes, the Orioles were basically a middle of the road offensive team in 2012, but they have far more reliable protection than any of the other teams could really offer. If Stanton is dealt to the Orioles, his fantasy owners should be quite pleased.

What do you think? Will we see a Giancarlo Stanton trade?