Perhaps the last thing Team USA needed to add was more offense. The roster is already stacked with all star position players coming off the bench. Yet when someone with the ability of Giancarlo Stanton wants to play you don't say no. He figures to slide right into the heart of the USA lineup and will also carry a leadership role on the team thanks to his participation from the 2013 tournament.
Entering 2017 Stanton is one of the five most talented players in baseball but hasn't been able to stay healthy. In his last full season, 2014, Stanton led the league in homers and slugging to finish second in the MVP voting. The issue, of course, has been stringing together consecutive healthy seasons. The most games he has ever played in a season is 150 and he has topped 123 just once since 2011. Now 27 years old Stanton is still owed $299.5 million over the next 11 seasons as part of his record setting contract signed back in 2014.
While his addition is great news Team USA still needs to improve the pitching staff if they wants to compete for the WBC championship.
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