The most similar trade in major league history to what the Marlins are now trying to orchestrate with Giancarlo Stanton was the Rangers dealing Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees 14 years ago.

Yet lessons from that very trade would give the Yankees great pause over ever replicating it.

First, a quick refresher on the similarities: Like Stanton now, A-Rod was coming off an age-27 season in which he won the MVP, was three years into what was at that point the largest contract ever given, had a no-trade clause, had an opt-out clause looming and was playing for a losing, financially distressed franchise that desperately needed to move his contract.

Other options fell away with Rodriguez because the union vetoed a trade to Boston, feeling A-Rod would have lost too much value in the contract restructuring the Red Sox required.

The Cardinals and Giants both had deals the Marlins would have accepted for Stanton, but St. Louis and San Francisco announced Friday that Stanton would not waive his no-trade clause to complete a deal.

The belief is he would prefer the Dodgers — a top contender near his Southern California roots — and perhaps the Yankees. And while you learn to never say never — after all, the Marlins’ financial desperation can always make a deal too good to reject — it is worth remembering that in 2004, the theatrical, impetuous George Steinbrenner — not the more reserved, thoughtful Hal Steinbrenner — ran the Yankees.

Also, the Yankees had a clear need once — coincidence alert No. 1 — Aaron Boone blew out his knee playing offseason basketball. A-Rod agreed to move to third because — coincidence alert No. 2 — Derek Jeter was at short.

For Jeter’s Marlins to now deal Stanton to Boone’s Yankees would mean the Yanks addressing outfield and right-handed power when neither is a shortcoming. But it also would mean dismissing two vital lessons from the A-Rod relationship:

1. The Yankees could structure a deal in such a way they actually could lower their luxury tax payroll in 2018 (they have vowed to get under the $197 million threshold), if the Marlins are desperate enough to get rid of as much of the $295 million Stanton is owed the next 10 years that they, say, would take Jacoby Ellsbury (if he waived his no-trade clause) and Starlin Castro. Combined they are owed $80.4 million and would count as $30.4 million toward the 2018 luxury tax payroll compared to Stanton’s $25 million. Remember, the Rangers were desperate enough to eat $67 million of the $179 million A-Rod was owed to facilitate the deal.

But this is not just about 2018. Stanton can opt out after 2020. But if he doesn’t, he is signed through 2027, when he will be 37. And A-Rod is as much Example A of why the Yankees want to avoid long contracts and what happens when a team is tethered to an aging player. In the first year that they are clear of A-Rod’s salary (remember Rodriguez counted $27.5 million toward their luxury tax payroll last year despite not playing the final year of his contract), do the Yankees really want to jump back into a similar deal? Especially because it would chew up big dollars with arguably the best free-agent class ever looming next offseason.

2. In 2004, there were some clues about Rodriguez not being the best fit for New York, including his ego-driven need to try to diminish Jeter in a 2001 Esquire magazine piece. You never really know a player until you have him, which is another reason home grown is preferable.

There are clues with Stanton that would raise concerns. Rodriguez had played in 485 of a possible 486 games in three seasons with the Rangers. Stanton has not been nearly that durable. He has never played for a winning team in eight seasons and only in the opening year of Marlins Park (2012) was Stanton’s team not last in NL attendance. He would be coming to contention, intensity and interest he has not yet seen.

In his biggest national forum, last year’s All-Star Game at Marlins Park, Stanton hardly played the veteran statesman when he became so quickly annoyed at the volume of Aaron Judge questions. That should have been an easy-to-prepare-for layup — to talk about the breakout star in the game who was being compared to Stanton. After all, the rookie Judge hardly could have been better in giving smiling complimentary deferential responses about Stanton.

The questions in New York — really pretty much anywhere outside of Miami — are going to be more frequent and often a lot tougher than offering a sound bite on Judge.