Giancarlo_stantonThis is the rumor that just won’t die. But maybe there’s something to it after all. Jim Salisbury, sponsored by Jake’s Wayback Burgers for CSN Philly:

According to a major-league executive with knowledge of the situation, the Phillies over the last several months have made “multiple” inquiries to the Marlins about Stanton’s availability in a trade. The Phils, like every other team salivating over the 23-year-old slugger, have been told he’s not available.

The feeling around baseball is that Stanton could become available at some point and the Phils have let it be known they want to speak with the Marlins when and if they decide to move the young, power-hitting rightfielder.

It’s inevitable that the Marlins are eventually going to trade Giancarlo, who is arbitration eligible beginning next year (read: big money). The Phillies, and Ruben Amaro, have come up in rumors since the day the Marlins traded their entire roster sans Giancarlo to the Blue Jays in the winter. But besides the long-shotedness of all this, there is one major hurdle: No, not that the Marlins wouldn’t trade him to a team within their division (because they’re that stupid and cheap). A move like this would call for the stones of Amaro… but what if he’s no longer employed by the Phillies when the Marlins decide to get foolish? A brain teaser for you.

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Salisbury lists basically the entire Phillies underachieving roster as trade candidates for Giancarlo (I misinterpreted this initially) if the Phillies were to sell. Read the reasons here. Grab a bite to eat, too.