Red Sox: What would it take to trade for Giancarlo Stanton?

As much of a burden as Stanton’s contract would be for most teams, adding his $25 million salary next season would partially be offset by the outgoing salary they sent to Miami. If both Rodriguez and Bradley were included in the deal, that’s approximately $9 million in arbitration salary the Red Sox won’t need to pay.

While Stanton’s salary does gradually increase over the next few years, it won’t escalate as rapidly as the arbitration salaries for the players they give up, let alone what it would cost to keep them when they reach free agency.

Could the Red Sox convince Miami to take Hanley Ramirez off their hands? Wiping his $22 million salary off the books would certainly ease the burden of adding Stanton for next season. The Marlins would be reluctant to pay his remaining contract, but it’s still cheaper than what they owe Stanton and has only one guaranteed year left.

While some teams may require the Marlins to eat a portion of Stanton’s salary, Boston could offer to take on the entire contract as long as they can dump Ramirez on them in return. At least Miami gets a useful player back instead of dead money on their payroll. Nostalgic fans may welcome the return of Ramirez to South Beach, where he spent the first seven seasons of his big league career.