Baseball-Yankees confirm slugger Stanton as newest Bronx Bomber
Dec 11 (Reuters) - Slugger Giancarlo Stanton is officially a New York Yankee, the Major League Baseball team confirming on Monday they had obtained the reigning National League most valuable player in a trade with the Miami Marlins.
The Yankees said in a statement they will introduce their prize signing later on Monday at the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando.
Stanton, who led the Majors in home runs (59), runs batted in (132) and slugging percentage (.631), joins a Yankees team already boasting power at the plate in the shape of American League rookie of the year Aaron Judge, who slammed 52 homers last season.
The 28-year-old Stanton's 59 home runs were the highest total in the Majors since 2001, when San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds hit 73 and the Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs 64.
Judge and Stanton will become only the second pair of team mates to have each hit at least 50 home runs in the previous season, joining the 1962 world champion Yankees who featured Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.
The trade also marks just the second time in MLB history that a reigning MVP has been acquired via trade prior to the start of the following season.
In exchange for Stanton, who will earn $295 million over the next 10 years, the Yankees sent second baseman Starlin Castro, minor league right-handed pitcher Jorge Guzman and minor league infielder Jose Devers to the Marlins. (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, Editing by Ed Osmond)
