Report: Cardinals trying 'very diligently' to trade for Stanton

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is apparently greatly focused on luring the reigning National League MVP to the Gateway City this offseason.

The Cardinals are trying "very diligently" to trade for Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. It was reported last week that the Cardinals had made a trade offer for Stanton, and Morosi added that the club has tried a number of different iterations of a deal.

Miami is hoping to part with as much of the $295 million remaining on Stanton's contract as possible in any trade, while also adding prospects. The Cardinals have the financial muscle and the potential prospects, but the four-time All-Star possesses a full no-trade clause, and it's believed he'd prefer to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cardinals are eager to add a power bat after finishing eighth in the NL in home runs and OPS last season. None of their players hit more than 25 homers.