As the 2017-18 offseason progressed, a sudden rumor related to the newly crowned World Champion New York Yankees appeared in the baseball section of the North American Reddit forum and continued to ferment in the process of word of mouth.

[Rumor: Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman and his team were spotted in Florida Miami having a pleasant conversation with Derek Jeter, who has now become a small owner of the Marlins. Sources indicate that the Yankees have their eyes on this year's National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton and want to bring him to Yankee Stadium, to form the "Diamond Lineup" with Aaron Judge and Lin Guanglai — if this trade ultimately comes through, it won't be good news for other teams wanting to overthrow the Yankees' dominance...]

The publisher of the rumor described it in detail, even attaching many photos taken on-site: although the quality is unclear due to the candid shots, the distinctive faces of Cashman and Jeter are still easily recognizable; precisely because of this, the post sparked widespread discussion in the forum upon release.

[Are the Yankees trying to destroy the sport of baseball? They already have an MVP and a soon-to-be MVP-level Judge on their team, and now bringing in the new MVP Stanton — what's the point? Doesn't the Major League's official body regulate such behavior?]

[Damn... If they really bring Stanton over, the lineup formed by Lin, Judge, and the powerhouse will be unstoppable. Is there any pitcher in the league who can withstand that level of offense? I think even Lin facing such a lineup would be overwhelmed...]

[Who understands the excitement of a Yankees fan? Seeing it like this makes the previous dark years of missing the playoffs worthwhile. This team is really giving me more hope. Next season, we're aiming for a championship defense!]

Many fans who saw the rumor expressed shock over this potential trade. After all, 28-year-old Giancarlo Stanton just finished the best season of his career, with a WAR of 8.1, 59 home runs, and 132 RBIs, all leading the National League and hitting new career highs. Most people see such a player joining the already champion Yankees as certainly strengthening the defending champions.

However, many people expressed skepticism about the trade, including some quite famous amateur analysts in the forum:

[No, although baseball emphasizes individual performance, it ultimately remains a team sport. You can't just look at the players' paper strength — haven't there been few examples of teams like the "Galaxy Battleship" falling apart? Why did the Yankees win the championship this year? Because the team's chemistry was excellent. Who can guarantee Stanton's seamless integration once he arrives? If that were true, why didn't the Angels make it to the playoffs with their 'God Trout + Cyborg' lineup?]

[I agree with the above perspective, and I'd like to further add my point: If Cashman really makes the foolish decision to spend assets on acquiring Stanton, I dare say this will be the start of the Yankees' downfall —

Firstly, if Stanton joins, he'll most likely be relegated to the DH position. However, the Yankees' unshakeable DH is Lin. It's better not to risk Lin's health by making him take the field just for Stanton's firepower. Bear in mind that Lin can both pitch and hit, and his contributions are much greater than the powerhouse guy.

Moreover, Stanton's contract with the Marlins, worth 13 years and 325 million US Dollars, has only been executed for three seasons, with a full 10 years of control left. For a player who can almost only play as DH, this price and term are overly extravagant, almost entirely lacking in cost-effectiveness;

Furthermore, the flexibility in the Yankees' current roster is largely due to the benefits of rookie contracts like Lin, Judge, Severino, and Sanchez. If they opt to take on Stanton's contract now, then in a few years, when it's time for Judge and Lin to renew, the upper limit of the entire roster will be completely locked up, leaving no room for improvement at all.]

The fans' discussion is intense, each side having its viewpoint with no mutual convincing; but for Brian Cashman and his team, who've already arrived in Miami, they indeed have important business to attend to.

"Derek, we've been partners for more than twenty years; let's be straightforward — I want to bring Donny back to the Bronx, name your price."

In a private meeting room in a five-star hotel in Miami, Brian Cashman sat on the couch looking at the Derek Jeter opposite him, smiling as he spoke.

The forum rumor guessed correctly, Cashman's trip to Miami is indeed aiming for a trade; though his target is not Giancarlo Stanton, but the head coach of the Miami Marlins, Don Mattingly.

"Didn't Joe just lead the team to a World Series victory? Doesn't such a coach at least warrant a contract extension from the team?" Clearly, Jeter is also somewhat perplexed by Cashman's decision.

After all, championship leaders should be highly sought after in the market. Girardi has been leading the Yankees since 2008, winning two World Series championships within ten years, which is quite impressive. From this perspective, the Yankees should offer him a contract immediately after his contract expires, why let him walk away?