Texas Rangers Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals interested in Kyle Gibson?

Kyle Gibson is pitching out of his mind for the Texas Rangers in 2021, and other teams are taking notice. One of those teams is the St. Louis Cardinals.

According to TJ Zencka of MLB Trade Rumors, St. Louis is searching far and wide for rotation upgrades as their ace, Jack Flaherty, has suffered from numerous injuries this season.

It makes sense, therefore, that the Cardinals would be interested in acquiring another ace-type to fill Flaherty’s void, to which Kyle Gibson has been exactly that this season.

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Gibson, 33, is a 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA (3.42 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP in 16 starts in 2021, numbers that have earned him his first career All-Star appearance and what should later earn him Cy Young consideration should he keep pitching at this high a level for the rest of the year.

That 1.98 ERA would actually be the best on the Cardinals’ starting staff right now, and heck, it would be the best on many staffs in baseball, except the New York Mets, who have Jacob deGrom.

In total, St. Louis’ combined starters ERA sits at 4.28, which is middle of the pack in MLB. And considering the Cardinals are trailing the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, as well as being under .500, the urgency factor to make a move is obviously there as well.

The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly reached out about trading for the Texas Rangers’ Kyle Gibson

The price to acquire Gibson won’t be cheap for any team, and knowing the Cards’ desperation, the Texas Rangers should use any leverage they possess in trade talks.

Here’s an example of a trade we think might work well for both sides.

Here, St. Louis gets their man, bolstering their rotation and filling the vacancy left by the injured Jack Flaherty. Assuming Flaherty returns this season, Gibson would move down to the No. 2 spot in their rotation, a perfect role for him and the Cardinals.

In exchange, Texas receives a project (but ranked) prospect in Edwin Nunez, one with a high ceiling and good projectability. His fastball grades well (70 on the 20-80 scouting scale) and he has the ability to become a starter in the big leagues one day.

They would also grab Kwang Hyun Kim in this deal, a Korean lefty who has been solid in 2021 (3.39 ERA) as a starter for the Cardinals. He would essentially fill the innings that Gibson would’ve pitched.

As you can see, this price is a bit hefty, but it’s one St. Louis knows they’ll have to pay to acquire a frontline starter at the deadline. The Texas Rangers should also capitalize on a chance to acquire assets.