Giancarlo Stanton open to extension

— -- Giancarlo Stanton is open to the idea of staying in South Florida, provided the Miami Marlins establish "security" in terms of keeping their other talented players.

Stanton, who agreed to a $6.5 million deal last month to avoid arbitration, said in a recent interview with MLB.com that he wants to see the Marlins "going in the right direction" before considering a long-term deal.

"I want some team security as well," Stanton told MLB.com. "I'm very pleased with how things panned out for me. But I would like to see [the team] grow. I have my security somewhat now. I'd like to see a team full of that."

The 24-year-old Stanton, who is eligible to become a free agent after the 2016 season, said he does not expect to talk about an extension until after this upcoming season.

"I don't think I'd like during the season to have to play and deal with that," he told MLB.com.

Stanton has 117 home runs over his four-year career and has been a frequent subject of trade speculation. The All-Star slugger has battled injuries the past two years and struggled last season, batting a career-low .249 with 24 homers and 62 RBIs.

The Marlins loaded up on high-profile players in 2012, adding Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle to a promising team that already featured Stanton and Hanley Ramirez.

But after struggling in the first half of 2012, the Marlins traded away multiple star players -- including Reyes and Ramirez -- before last season, when they went 62-100 en route to their third consecutive last-place finish.

"In order for the team to have security, that doesn't happen in two seconds," Stanton told MLB.com. "That happens over a season or over two seasons. You show me that, and we can get something going."

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.