Rangers Called 'Good Fit' For Cardinals $44M Starter In Potential Trade

No body seems safe on the Cardinals' roster right now

Jul 26, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Texas Rangers fielder Leody Taveras (3) during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Who will be in the St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation in 2025?

At this point, there really aren't any full guarantees.

It would be great if Sonny Gray were to be with the team in 2025. He has been mentioned in trade rumors but has a no-trade clause and there have been reports that he would like to stay. Because of that, he's likely to be in town, but there isn't a guarantee at this point in the offseason.

St. Louis has other players like Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy who could be with the team, but no one has been safe from trade rumors. Another player whose future is up in the air is Steven Matz. He has one year left on a four-year, $44 million deal and could be a starter or bullpen piece for the Cardinals, or he could be moved.

Matz has been a topic of trade discussions recently and like most of the roster, it really isn't clear what the team's plan is for him.

If he were to get traded, though, MLB Trade Rumors' Nick Deeds suggested the Texas Rangers could be a "good fit" for him.

"Notably, Matz has pitched substantially better in his relief outings with the Cardinals than he has during his time in the rotation," Deeds said. "In 163 frames for the club as a starter, Matz has posted a 4.91 ERA. Meanwhile, his 33 1/3 innings as a member of the bullpen saw him post a much more intriguing 2.43 ERA. While the lefty’s overall results and durability as a member of the rotation leave his contract with little if any surplus value, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a club intrigued by his work out of the bullpen acquire him to act as a versatile reliever capable of stepping into the rotation if necessary.

"It’s a role some pitchers such as Nick Martinez, Jakob Junis, Spencer Turnbull, and Michael Lorenzen have found success with in recent years, and a team that values that sort of flexibility on their pitching staff like the (San Francisco Giants) or Rangers could be a good fit for the lefty’s services."

This isn't an indication of a move on the way, but more of a suggestion. Texas won the World Series in 2023 and then missed the playoffs in 2024 thanks in large part to injuries. Adding a player like Matz could improve depth in both the bullpen and the rotation wherever he would be needed.

Texas has one of the better farm systems in baseball, maybe it would be worth giving the club a call to see if a deal could get done.

More MLB: Cardinals 8-Time All-Star Called Trade Candidate As Offseason Heats Up