Rangers' selling moves could open the door for the Cardinals to swoop in

The Texas Rangers have been perhaps the most intriguing trade partner for the St. Louis Cardinals at the deadline.

According to many reports, the Cardinals have been directly linked to Nathan Eovaldi and Max Scherzer, but the Rangers' status as buyers or sellers has been in question. In a wide-open American League West division, where Texas sits 4.5 games behind both Houston and Seattle for first place. However, it looks like the defending World Series champions may have cemented their place as sellers in 2024.

The Rangers just flipped rental starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen to the Kansas City Royals for left-handed reliever Walter Pennington. Pennington was just called up to the Majors after a great first half at Triple-A, but it appears to be a move planning towards the future rather than looking to contend in 2024. Texas does have a strong starting rotation, but trading from that group while still hoping to make a playoff push seems odd. The Ranger should be open for business, and the Cardinals should be all-in on one of their other rental arms.

Nathan Eovaldi has more upside than Max Scherzer, but both would be worthy adds to a Cardinals rotation in desperate need of another starter to pair with Sonny Gray for a playoff series. Especially with Gray's recent struggles, there's not another starter in the St. Louis rotation that can be trusted to reliably start game 2 of a playoff series. However, both Eovaldi and Scherzer are experienced veterans with significant Postseason experience and are still extremely effective at their jobs.

Even if the Cardinals don't choose to trade with the Rangers, who are coming to town this week, the Rangers selling has significant implications for the market. With more arms available, both starters and relievers, the Cardinals may not have to pay as much to acquire needs. It's been rumored that they're in talks with the White Sox and Dodgers surrounding a three-team trade involving Erick Fedde and Tommy Edman. Chicago was already shot down regarding a ridiculous package including Jordan Walker, but now they may be forced to lower their asking price even more.

Regardless, the Rangers selling should have huge implications for the Cardinals, who hope to be aggressive buyers at the deadline. Whether they target Eovaldi, Scherzer, or another higher-end arm, St. Louis is now better positioned to make a meaningful move at the trade deadline.