Were the Florida Marlins really that desperate to land Ozzie Guillen as their next manager that they were willing to trade their top prospect Mike Stanton for him?  According to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times this trade proposal actually had some legs.

During this past season, Guillen’s relationship with GM Kenny Williams reached a boiling point during the late summer where Guillen was considered by many to be day-to-day.  As we all know Guillen patched up the relationship and is still the manager of the Sox.  But it was during this heated time that the Florida Marlins were granted permission by the White Sox to interview Guillen for their vacant managerial job. Guillen did say, ”I never talked to the Marlins. I never did.”

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was intent on making Guillen his next manager. Talks, sources say, progressed to the point that there was discussion of executing a trade that would send Guillen, who has a year left on his contract, to the Marlins for 20-year-old outfielder Mike Stanton.

GM Kenny Williams was reached via text message on Thursday and had this to say about Ozzie and his future with the White Sox.  ”Ozzie is the manager of the White Sox next year and I hope the next 10 years after. How many times do I have to [bleeping] say it?”

Needless to say, after 20 year old Stanton hit 22 home runs and 59 RBI’s in 100 games, he probably wont be going anywhere for a long time.

Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post chimes in and adds that “Sources are denying ever having talks with White Sox about Ozzie Guillen for Mike Stanton…”

Williams told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin that the report is “false”, but he did not go into further detail.

If in fact these talks did take place, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria showed that he was willing to give up almost anything to acquire Guillen.  I personally think it was a good thing for the Marlins that this trade never happened as they are able to keep a potential star for the next 6 plus years.