Yankees reach deal with Jeter to land Giancarlo Stanton from Marlins

In what figures to be the biggest blockbuster deal of this baseball offseason, the New York Yankees have agreed with Derek Jeter to acquire reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins.

The deal — which will give the Yankees a deadly power-hitting combination with Aaron Judge — is awaiting physicals for the players involved, according to multiple reports. Stanton reportedly gave final stamp of approval to the trade on Saturday morning.

Stanton and Judge combined for 111 home runs last season.

The New York Post says one of the Yankees’ key trading chips going to Miami will be former Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro. The Yankees will also send a package of minor-league prospects: right-hander Jorge Guzman and shortstop Jose Devers, who is Boston Red Sox prospect Rafael Devers’ cousin. The deal also reportedly calls for the Yankees to get $30 million from the Marlins.

Stanton, who is owed $295 million over the next 10 years, has full no-trade protection and must approve any trade. ESPN reported Friday night that Stanton was open to listening to a Yankees proposal.

The trade talks put the Yankees in the odd position of dealing with one of their icons in Jeter, who is now the CEO and part owner of the Marlins.

Stanton, 28, just the sixth player to the MVP award while playing for a losing team, led the majors last season in home runs (59), RBI (132), extra-base hits (91) and slugging percentage (.631), each of which set a Marlins single-season record, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

His 59 home runs were the most in the majors since 2001, when Barry Bonds hit a record 73 and Sammy Sosa had 64.

The New York Daily News tweeted a completed front page this morning, long before the deal was sealed.

The Yankees were one of four teams for which he was willing to waive his no-trade clause. The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized.

In a stunning transaction that marks a vast turn from the Yankees’ recent goals of financial austerity, New York adds the premier right-handed power-hitter in the game and suddenly has the major leagues’ two leading home run hitters – Stanton, who slugged 59 home runs for the Miami Marlins, and AL Rookie of the Year Judge, who hit 52.

Now, both towering sluggers will take aim at Yankee Stadium’s tempting right-field porch thanks to a deal that will have ramifications for the next decade.

Stanton will become the second MVP to be traded the following off-season, the first since the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers after the 2003 season – a move that also involved Jeter, who remained the Yankee shortstop while A-Rod moved to third base. He’s now a part-owner of the Marlins.

The Yankees were one of four teams Stanton was open to a trade. The other three were the Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros — all league championship finalists in 2017.On Friday, both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants declared they were out of the running for Stanton. Each team had an agreement set with the Marlins to acquire Stanton, but he didn’t waive his no-trade clause to accept either trade.

Stanton’s preference was the Dodgers, who are coming off a World Series appearance and happen to be his hometown team.