Today marks exactly one calendar year since the press conference announcing that Giancarlo Stanton had joined the New York Yankees. Days earlier, the recently-crowned National League MVP had been dealt for Starlin Castro and prospects Jorge Guzmán and José Devers. The Yankees also took on all but $30 million of the remaining $295 million left on Stanton’s contract as part of the deal.
While the move made sense for the new Marlins ownership who wanted to save money and rebuild from the ground up, the trade additionally had an alienating effect on the team’s fan base who hated seeing the franchise left without its face with the knowledge that more stars were soon to be out the door.