The question isn't should the Pirates bring in Giancarlo Stanton, it's will they bring him in

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the Pirates have been linked to Giancarlo Stanton. It started with an article by Dave Schoenfield who described why we need Stanton. James Santelli took it farther and talked about the ten reasons the Pirates should trade for Stanton. I can't link the articles because it screws up my entire post (this is the second time I'm writing this) but if you go to PiratesProspects.com or the ESPN SweetSpot Blog I'm sure you can find both articles. They're also both on twitter and fantastic reads if you have the time. Anyways, Dave's article summarized says we need Stanton to stop our hitting woes and says a price the Marlins would take would be Jameson Taillon, Gregory Polanco, Tony Sanchez, and a C grade left handed pitching prospect. Steep price huh? Well it's absolutely worth it. If you followed me last year, I was in on the Justin Upton trade but that probably would've been a mistake. This is different. Stanton is a bonafide star. He's 23, plays RF, is under control through the 2016 season, and is one of only 12 players to hit 100 HRs before their 23rd birthday. 8 of the other 11 are in Cooperstown, two more are Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr (sure fire Hall of Famers). So basically ya. This guy ain't coming cheap. But you know what it's worth it.

This deal is worth it because of the farm system. I can't applaud Neal Huntington enough for building what I and several experts believe is the best farm system in the MLB from the garbage heap he got from Dave Littlefield. We would be trading our top two prospects but we would have replacements. Trade Taillon, you have Tyler Glasnow, Nick Kingham, and Luis Heredia still in the system all with similar potential. Trade Polanco, still have Austin Meadows, Josh Bell, Barrett Barnes, Elvis Escobar, Harold Ramirez all in the system. While they don't have Polanco's potential, you have several guys who could develop into players just about the same as him. Even trading Tony Sanchez would be ok. We wouldn't have much in AAA and would need to extend Russell Martin but Reese McGuire, Wyatt Mathieson, and Jin De Jhang. Are all in the low minors. So you see while the price looks steep, we can still do it without "selling the farm".

Why do we need Stanton? That's a stupid question. Everyone needs a power bat like that in their lineup but especially the Pirates. Travis Snider has disappointed and the Pirates rank dead last in OPS from right field in the NL. Obvious need for improvement. Guess what position Mike Giancarlo Stanton plays? You already know.

So if this is the scenario, the Pirates really should do this right? Right. But will they? That's a different story.

The first roadblock is will the Marlins trade him. Well, the Marlins flat out suck. No way around it. They won't contend until after Stanton is gone so they will trade him but they may wait until the offseason until they get a bigger haul. But what if they decide now is the time. Well, like I said everyone could use a Giancarlo Stanton so everyone will want him. There are very few teams that have the resources to do this trade without destroying their future. The Yankees want him but I don't think they have the prospects. The Rangers are the biggest threat but their biggest trade chips are two shortstops (Jurickson Profar and Elvis Andrus). The Marlins got a star SS prospect in the Blue Jay fire sale trade so they may not be a match. So the Marlins decide to sell him. We're the perfect match. Why won't the Pirates make this deal. Well there's still one big problem.

Management. Do Neal Huntington and Bob Nutting have the balls to pull this off? Will they take the risk. It is a big risk. Sending two of the top prospects in baseball away for one man who has an injury history and will cost a lot of money in the next three years. Could they extend him and bite the bullet of money? (James Santelli's suggestion). I just don't see Neal Huntington standing up and saying "Deal". Even if he was, I don't see Bob Nutting allowing him to do it. The Pirates will not go with the core of seven (Cutch, Marte, Cole, Alvarez, Locke, Walker, Stanton) that could win multiple World Series through 2016 while they're under team control but will rather hope for Stanton to be switched with Taillon and Polanco for a longer time period starting in two more years.

I don't agree with this but I think it is what they will do. I think this team has more depth and is not going to collapse if help is added to the offense. But if you think about it, Neal has been cautious because he knew the team wasn't that good. The team needs a right fielder. Neal Huntington needs to win to avoid losing his job. Nutting needs to win over fans. MLB teams are getting over $20 million in new TV contracts next year. So is that a perfect storm to make a big move for Stanton or another superstar? The chances are slim but to cheer you up, the chances are probably higher than any Justin Upton trade last year but lower than any Hunter Pence trade. I'd look for more guys like Alfonso Soriano, Michael Young, Josh Willingham, Ricky Nolasco, Bud Norris, and relievers to be targeted. But could the stars align? It's a possibility that we could see Giancarlo Stanton crushing home runs into the Pittsburgh skyline.