Giancarlo Stanton has been mentioned in trade rumors over the past two years and as spring training gets closer, it is unlikely that rumored deals to the LA Dodgers, Red Sox or Seattle Mariners for the Miami Marlins will not happen, as the star is open for a contract extension with the team.

Stanton has been mentioned numerous times in trade talks, as the Marlins have been terrible over the past couple years, but now ESPN.com is reporting that Stanton is open to staying long term. According to ESPN.com, Stanton is open to signing an extension with the team and said that he wants some security and that things with the team are headed in the "right direction". The team and Stanton agreed on a $6.5 million deal to stay out of arbitration and that could lay the ground work for a new deal.

Stanton said that he likes playing in Miami and that despite the trades of Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle, that he thinks the team could win in the future. The 24 year old is considered one of the best young stars in the league and he already has nearly 120 homers in his first four seasons and while he is coming off of a bad season, his upside is as good as anyone in the league.

Last season he was injured and ended up hitting .249 with 24 homers and 62 RBIs and that average was the lowest of his career. The trade rumors came up with the team going 62-100 and finishing in last place and now they are trying to build to the future. Stanton can be a free agent in two years and many feel that the team will trade him or sign him to a long term extension by then. The team signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Rafael Furcal and Garrett Jones in the offseason and while a last place finish is likely once again, the team wants to lock up Stanton.