Giants, Cardinals players using social media to openly recruit Giancarlo Stanton
Everybody wants Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Who wouldn’t want the reigning National League MVP? Typically, those negotiations are private, and left to front office members. But with Stanton, it’s different.
Even the players are getting involved now.
Both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants have been mentioned as the two favorites to land Stanton. And instead of letting Stanton make that decision, some players on those teams have reached out on social media to make their recruiting pitches.
Hunter Pence probably had the best of the bunch, mostly because he tried to convince Stanton to join the Giants in the most Hunter Pence way possible.
Hey @Giancarlo818, can you imagine our Powers combined?!? #ComeBashInTheBay pic.twitter.com/u8Xsh9MN9K
— Hunter Pence (@hunterpence) December 5, 2017
He was joined by San Francisco reliever Cody Gearrin, who has his sights set a little higher. He wants Stanton and Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani.
That feeling when @Giancarlo818 and #ShoheiOhtani finally suit up in that epic @SFGiants Orange and Black!!! #BashInTheBay #SFGiants #BestFansInBaseball #MLB #ChristmasComeEarly #WeAreFamily pic.twitter.com/xaVPS1g7Wf
— CoryGearrin_62 (@CoryGearrin) December 6, 2017
Not to be outdone, Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler decided to make the case for his team.
Ay man @hunterpence , not sure that’s good job security for you #comeflexwithdex https://t.co/y4ZU8JTOlU
— Dexter Fowler (@DexterFowler) December 6, 2017
Infielder Kolten Wong also got in on the action, and created a nickname for himself in the process.
A post shared by Kolten Wong (@thewongone808) on Dec 5, 2017 at 2:58pm PST
Normally, we wouldn’t see players get involved in negotiations for a player. But we’re living in an era of social media. Players have easier ways to communicate with others. And while Pence or Fowler could have texted Stanton, it looks better if they put it out there for all to see.
On top of that, Stanton is in a unique situation. His no-trade clause allows him to pick his destination. He might need a little push to accept deals to some places, and players are more than willing to recruit the guy who mashed 59 home runs to their team.
During the process, there have been rumors that Stanton is holding out for the Los Angeles Dodgers to try and jump into the race. If that happens, he may not need prodding from players on the team to take that offer.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
