Stanton inks historic deal with Marlins

Nov 19, 2014 - 5:19 PM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Miami Marlins officially signed outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to the largest contract in North American sports history on Wednesday.

The jaw-dropping 13-year, $325 million contract runs through the 2027 season and includes a club option for 2028. It also includes the first no-trade clause awarded by the organization, and Stanton can opt out after six years.

According to ESPN.com, the contract is backloaded to be cost-friendly for the Marlins. Stanton will have a base salary of $6.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016 and $14.5 million in 2017. He would then earn $77 million over the following three seasons.

"This is a big day for us. We're going to start pushing forward here. This is one step to some building blocks we need here," Stanton said. "We've had some bumps in the road and that's baseball. It takes time and patience. We're in the right direction. This is for the city of Miami, this is for new-found confidence and trust. Starting with me and my teammates and the front office here, we're all agreed we need a winning environment, a winning city and this is one building block toward a better future and a new way of life down here in Miami."

Stanton finished as the runner-up to Clayton Kershaw for NL MVP honors after a stellar 2014 season that included an NL-best 37 homers and a career-high 105 runs batted in.

His season was cut short in September after being hit in the face by a pitch from Milwaukee's Mike Fiers. Stanton missed the final 2 1/2 weeks of the season after suffering multiple facial fractures, dental damage and lacerations that required stitches.

A two-time All-Star, Stanton has 154 homers and 399 RBI with a career .271 batting average in 634 games since making his big league debut with the Marlins in 2010.

"Giancarlo Stanton is a unique player whose natural gifts and talent are unparalleled in this sport," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said. "Over the past five years, he's given so much to the Marlins organization, the city of Miami and especially to his adoring fans. He's been committed to our community and we're excited to return the favor."