It’s official.
Giancarlo Stanton will be wearing Yankee pinstripes next season.
The Marlins formally announced the trade to send Stanton to New York for four-time All-Star second baseman Starlin Castro and prospects Jorge Guzmán, a right-handed pitcher and shortstop José Devers and cash considerations.
The trade was reportedly agreed upon Saturday in advance of the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, which began Monday morning at the Disney World Dolphin and Swan resort.
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With the move, the Marlins will shed the bulk of Stanton’s $295 million contract as multiple reports have stated the Yankees will assume responsibility for $265 million.
The teams are expected to hold a news conference discussing the move at the Winter Meetings at 2 p.m. Monday.
The 28-year old Stanton just hit 59 home runs and drove in an MLB-best 132 RBI last season to earn his first MVP award.
Stanton is the third reigning MVP to be traded and first since Alex Rodriguez was sent to the Yankees in 2003 from the Texas Rangers. The Philadelphia Athletics traded Eddie Collins to the Chicago White Sox after he won the AL MVP in 1914.
Stanton’s career numbers in eight years with the Marlins: 267 home runs, 672 RBI and a .268 batting average in 3,577 at-bats (986 games).
The Marlins’ new owners were eager to trade Stanton in order to lower payroll to about $90 million while rebuilding a farm system that ranks as one of the worst in the majors in terms of prospects.
But Stanton has said he doesn’t want to remain during a rebuild that would likely entail more losing, and his no-trade clause gave him final say, allowing him to accept or veto any trade as he did with potential deals with the Giants and Cardinals.
The Marlins may try to trade Castro, who is owed $10 million next season and $11 million in 2019, at the Winter Meetings, as well as more of their own core players, such as Marcell Ozuna, who has reportedly drawn serious interest from the Cardinals and Dodgers.
Stanton pairs up with current Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge to form potentially one of the most powerful lineups in recent memory. New York will now have the home run leaders from both leagues, who combined for 111 homers in 2016, in the heart of its lineup.
The last two teammates who each hit more than 50 home runs in the same season were Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961.
Guzman was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the New York-Penn League according to Baseball America, and rated as the Yankees’ No. 9 prospect according to MiLB.com. Guzman, a 21-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic, went 5-3 with 88 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA in 13 starts in Single-A ball last season.
Devers, an 18-year old lefty-hitting shortstop from the Dominican Republic and cousin of Red Sox prospect Rafael Devers, hit .245 with nine doubles, three triples, a home run with 16 RBI and 16 steals in his first season of pro baseball, split between the Dominican Summer League and Gulf Coast League Yankees.