As many as eight teams are in discussions with the Miami Marlins regarding outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, with six of those clubs said to be "serious," Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Might the San Francisco Giants be the most determined of the group?

That's the case, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale notes that a deal isn't close, but the Giants have been aggressive in their pursuit.

Further lending to this notion, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com tweeted earlier this week that Giants prospect Heliot Ramos has been discussed as a potential trade piece in a package to acquire Stanton. Ramos, the 19th pick in this year's draft, impressed in his professional debut, hitting .348 in 35 games for the Rookie-level AZL Giants.

Stanton has been a hot name on the market following a 59-homer campaign that has him among the finalists to take home the National League MVP on Thursday night. The 28-year-old is entering the fourth season of a 13-year, $325 million contract that is set to start paying him at least $25 million annually beginning in 2018 and contains an opt-out after 2020.

In addition to the Giants hitting an MLB-low 128 home runs last season, their outfielders combined to post a .684 OPS, which was also by far the worst mark in the majors.

--Kyle Brasseur