Cardinals Rumors: John Mozeliak gives a sobering update on state of the trade market

We are officially a week away from the MLB Trade Deadline and the St. Louis Cardinals are firmly in the "buyers" category as they navigate trade conversations. Unfortunately, many of the teams around baseball are still trying to figure out where they stand.

Tom Ackerman of KMOX asked John Mozeliak on Sunday about the state of the trade market, and Mozeliak used the phrase "patience" that Cardinals fans seem to hate to hear, but in this case, it seems to be related to waiting on other clubs to decide what direction they are going in.

Mozeliak is on the phones gathering information as they prepare to make offers for what we presume will be another starting pitcher, reliever, and right-handed bat, but to Mozeliak's point, there are a number of clubs around the league right now who still need to decide if they are buyers or sellers.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers are two teams the Cardinals have been heavily linked to, but both clubs still need to decide how "much" they are willing to sell, if at all. In the case of the Rays, it sounds like they want to both buy and sell, while the Rangers need to decide if they want to try and stay in the race in the American League. The Blue Jays and Tigers appear to be sellers at this point, but they both need to decide what pieces they are willing to move as well.

In the National League, the Cubs and Reds have declared they are sellers, but with them both being in the division, it is unlikely the Cardinals swing a deal with either of them. The Giants and Nationals are right behind them in the race, but it is unclear whether or not they will join the Cubs and Reds as sellers.

Figuring out which of those teams will join the White Sox, Marlins, Athletics, Rockies, and Angels as sellers at this deadline not only impacts who the Cardinals may target, but it also impacts the "supply" of players available. For example, if the Rays, Rangers, Tigers, and Blue Jays all sell, that may mean we see Zach Eflin, Pete Fairbanks, Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer, Kirby Yates, David Robertson, Jack Flaherty, Tarik Skubal, Andrew Chafin, Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Bassit, and Kevin Gausman all available. If any of them decide not to sell, that makes for fewer options for not only St. Louis but other buyers as well.

This is firmly a seller's market as things stand, but the more sellers who join the mix, the "easier" it would be for Mozeliak and company to pull off the deals they want to make. If only a few teams sell, it will be a bidding war to get any talent that is available.

Expect rumors to heat up over the coming days as we get clarity on the state of the market. The Cardinals appear ready to add to this roster for the stretch run, we now just need to know who is actually available, and then who the Cardinals decide to target.