Report: Cardinals to engage Marlins about Stanton, Yelich

The St. Louis Cardinals may be sizing up a potential blockbuster swap.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold, the Cardinals, who believe their need for a heavy bat will be solved via the trade market as opposed to free agency, will reportedly engage the Miami Marlins about outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich.

Stanton is coming off one of the most offensively dominant seasons in baseball history and the best of his eight-year career. The hulking 27-year-old slashed .281/.376/.631 (165 OPS+) in 159 games in 2017, and his 59 home runs are tied for the ninth-highest tally in a single season, matching Babe Ruth's count in 1921.

Related: This is how the Marlins can keep Giancarlo Stanton

While Yelich doesn't hit for Stanton's power, the 25-year-old does fill a need for the Cardinals in terms of left-handed hitting. In 156 games for the Marlins this season, the center fielder owned a .282/.369/.439 slash line, adding 18 home runs and 16 steals on 18 attempts. He is under contract through the 2021 season, with a team option in 2022.

A report in late October named Stanton as one of three players the Marlins' new brass was looking to deal away to lower their payroll to no more than $90 million. He is set to earn $25 million in 2018, followed by $26 million in both 2019 and 2020.