MLB trade rumors: Cardinals, Giants out on Giancarlo Stanton

The reigning NL MVP will not be taking his talents to St. Louis or San Francisco.

Update (6:50 PM ET): The Giants have announced they are no longer in the running for Giancarlo Stanton, as well, according to a team statement (via MLB.com's Mark Feinsand):

Both of the clubs actively pursuing Stanton have now been removed from the pursuit, with the 2017 NL MVP unwilling to waive his full no-trade clause to join either the Cardinals or Giants.

Stanton's unwillingness to accept a deal to Saint Louis or San Francisco has loomed in the shadows of trade rumors for months, with both clubs trying to work around the slugger. Both clubs came to agreements with Miami on trade packages for Stanton—which included absorbing much of the $295 owed to him over the next ten seasons—but ultimately Stanton narrowed down his list of desired destinations to just four clubs (according to SiriusXM's Craig Mish):

In all of the confusion and frustration surrounding the Stanton sweepstakes, there's one thing we know for sure: Stanton is serious about wanting to play for a legitimate World Series contender. While neither the Astros or Cubs have expressed interest in acquiring the four-time All-Star, both the Dodgers and Yankees are realistic landing spots if Miami is willing to take on a bad contract in return. Mish, who has covered the Stanton saga religiously all winter, likes Los Angeles' chances to add Stanton.

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Original (5:07 PM ET): After submitting a formal offer for Giancarlo Stanton that was accepted by the Marlins, the Cardinals have announced in a press release that Stanton will not waive his no-trade clause to become a member of the Cardinals. The Cardinals will thus move on from their pursuit of the slugging right fielder and look in different directions to improve the team heading into 2018.

This is a big development in the Stanton saga, with the Giants now the only remaining team who have also had a formal trade proposal accepted by Miami. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Stanton will join the Giants either. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required and recommended) reported yesterday that Stanton is also unlikely to waive his no-trade clause to become a Giant. Craig Mish of Sirius XM tweeted last night that Stanton would accept trades to the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and Astros, with the Dodgers seemingly the likeliest suitor.

Stanton’s decision regarding the Giants is not yet known, but it is possible that it has already been made and news will be broken shortly. The Cardinals bowing out could also mean that other teams, namely the Dodgers and Yankees, will begin to act more aggressively in their pursuit. Stanton is coming off a season in which he OPSed 1.007 while mashing 59 home runs.