Report: Stanton clears waivers; 4 teams have asked about trade

Giancarlo Stanton may be the hottest home-run hitter in the game, and he could be traded within the next 16 days.

The towering Miami Marlins slugger cleared waivers Sunday, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, whose sources say at least four teams have inquired about the possibility of trading for the 27-year-old.

This means Miami has an opportunity to trade Stanton to any team in the big leagues if the Marlins can work out a deal for the powerful outfielder.

Despite 10 years and $295 million remaining on his contract, the market for Stanton is reportedly bigger than was previously believed. Before the non-waiver trade deadline, Miami apparently got far enough into talks with one club to start exchanging the names of players who could have been part of the return for the slugger.

Stanton, who leads Major League Baseball with 43 home runs, passed Gary Sheffield for the most home runs in a single season by a Marlins player with a towering blast against the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

Stanton's 43 dingers are also a career high, while his OPS of 1.014 and .640 slugging percentage are among the best in baseball.

In November 2014, the Marlins and Stanton agreed to a 13-year, $325-million extension, which was the most lucrative contract in sports history.

He can opt out of his contract following the 2020 season.

Over his eight seasons in the majors, Stanton has 251 home runs to his credit, as well as 633 RBIs and a .911 OPS.