during the MLB game at Chase Field on September 24, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers won an MLB-best 104 games in the regular season, and took the season literally as far as it can go with a World Series Game 7 loss to the Houston Astros. Even if the Dodgers did very little this offseason, they would still likely enter 2018 as the National League team to beat.

So the idea of the Dodgers adding baseball’s best slugger to their lineup is a pretty damn scary thought, especially for the rest of the NL.

MLB.Com’s Mark Feinsand reports that the Dodgers “are indeed in the mix” of teams interested in acquiring Miami Marlins star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.

The Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes took another turn Tuesday as a new contender emerged on Day 2 of the General Managers Meetings.

According to a source, the Dodgers are in the mix for the Marlins slugger, though it’s unclear what their interest level is for the four-time All-Star.

“They are in,” the source said of the Dodgers.

It’s been no secret that the Marlins are shopping Stanton, with the new ownership — featuring Derek Jeter — looking to trim payroll. Stanton has $295 million remaining on his contract over the next 10 years, and has a full no-trade clause. It’s been widely reported that Stanton — a native of Southern California — would prefer to be on the west coast, with one report Tuesday from Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald even saying that Stanton would not accept a trade to the Boston Red Sox or St. Louis Cardinals, two of the teams reportedly most interested in acquiring him.

Considering Stanton’s apparent location preference and that the Dodgers are set to be a championship contender for a while, they would seem to be his ideal landing spot. And a very good Dodgers farm system — with prospects such as OF Alex Verdugo, SP Walker Buehler, and SP Yadier Alvarez — would certainly offer appealing options for the Marlins in a trade.

Of course, the main issue with a Stanton trade is money (any team would love to have Giancarlo Stanton if he came cheaply!), and Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough reports that it’s unlikely the Dodgers — who are paying the luxury tax for the fifth straight year — would be willing to add Stanton’s massive contract to the payroll.

The enormity of Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s contract, which can pay him $295 million over the next 10 seasons, is expected to keep the Dodgers from being a serious bidder for his services, according to people familiar with the situation.

Stanton, a graduate of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, has a full no-trade clause, and could attempt to steer discussions toward returning home. But the Marlins likely would need to swallow a significant portion of Stanton’s salary in order to make that happen, as the Dodgers were penalized by Major League Baseball’s luxury tax for the fifth consecutive season in 2017.

As McCullough also notes, the Dodgers already have plenty of outfield options with Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Kike Hernandez, and Andrew Toles (will return from a torn ACL). There’s not a need in the outfield, and there’s really not a big need anywhere on the roster. This is an awesome team, so why commit to potentially $295 million over the next 10 years if you can compete for championships without doing so? Needs will arise eventually, and that contract could prevent the Dodgers from filling holes in the coming years. It could also prevent them from being able to lock up their young stars like Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger.

And there’s also a great chance this deal looks very ugly on the back end when Stanton’s athleticism deterioriates; he could be a disaster defensively. The deal is going to be a huge gamble for any team (especially an NL one), and the Dodgers have no reason to be desperate right now.

But let’s just imagine the Dodgers acquired Stanton. A 59-homer, 1.009-OPS, 7.6-WAR monster, added to a 104-win team.

That potential lineup:

Chris Taylor/Logan Forsythe
Corey Seager
Justin Turner
Giancarlo Stanton
Cody Bellinger
Yasiel Puig
Joc Pederson
Austin Barnes/Yasmani Grandal

That is absolutely terrifying.

Acquiring Stanton is probably not in the best interest of the Dodgers long term, but that trade is definitely something NL contenders don’t want to see happen either.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.