MLB Rumors: Cardinals dream target, Skubal suitors revealed, Crochet-Robert Jr. package deal?

T-minus 11 days until the MLB trade deadline. That means the trade buzz is percolating around the clock, with virtually every team engaged in conversations on some level. The contenders will look for upgrades, while those falling out of the postseason race are tasked with a decision. Go for it, or fall back and restock the farm system.

The buyers certainly appear to outnumber the sellers this season, which could create a congested market and sky-high prices. Over at "The Baseball Insiders," FanSided's MLB guru Robert Murray has all the latest scoops and analysis, along with his co-host Adam Weinrib.

Here are some fresh MLB rumors to get your weekend started on the right foot.

MLB Rumors: Are White Sox planning to package Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr.?

The Chicago White Sox are going to basically run the show in a couple weeks. Every needy team will be placing calls to Southside in search of veteran rentals or, for those more ambitious buyers, a potential All-Star upgrade. The primary names floating around the rumor mill these days are Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. The former is a Cy Young candidate. The latter smacked 38 home runs last season.

While Robert Murray has previously said both stars have better than even odds of changing teams, new rumors peg Crochet and Robert as a potential package deal. Only a few teams have the prospect capital and financial motivation for acquire both at once (most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers), but it's a fascinating wrinkle if true.

Unfortunately, the "if true" qualifier is important, and as Murray outlines on the podcast, a Crochet-Robert package deal doesn't really pass the smell test.

"I could be wrong, but my feeling is that the White Sox want to maximize value for both players and by packaging [Crochet and Robert], they would not be able to do so. I think both have a realistic chance of being moved, but in order for them to maximize value, they're going to have to be moved in separate deals."

It's only logical for Chicago to trade both individually. If the Dodgers want to come in with a godfather offer for Crochet and Robert, the White Sox are all ears, but only a select few teams can come close to matching the asking price for two top assets on controlable contracts. The White Sox can get top value for Robert from a team looking for offense (Phillies, Mariners, Pirates) while Crochet's market probably resides in a different competitive sector (Dodgers, Orioles, Braves).

MLB Rumors: Two teams listed as Tarik Skubal suitors, with a catch

The Detroit Tigers are officially listening to trade offers for American League Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal. The 27-year-old has multiple years of team control on his contract and an unhittable fastball, currently boasting a 2.41 ERA and 0.879 WHIP through 19 starts. If traded, and barring a complete shocker, Skubal would be the most valuable asset exchanged over the next couple weeks.

Adam Weinrib cites two documented suitors — the Baltimore Orioles and the Dodgers, perhaps mirroring the market for Garrett Crochet. Skubal is going to cost an arm and a leg. Detroit won't sell cheap, but as one Tigers source told Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, "everything has a price."

Just don't expect teams to meet the Tigers' asking price, says Robert Murray. Detroit tends to drive a hard bargain and there's no inherent pressure to deal Skubal. He can return a king's ransom at next summer's trade deadline, too.

"I would be very surprised if Skubal is traded. He is an AL Cy Young candidate. He's controllable, he's making an affordable amount of money this season, and he will be next year and the year after that as well. I have a very hard time seeing the Tigers moving him now. I do understand the logic behind the rumors, because the Tigers aren't one piece away, or two pieces away. If you trade Skubal now, especially considering the starting pitching market, you could end up getting an absolute haul for him. He would instantly be the No. 1 pitcher available."

A compelling point. While the Tigers probably cling tight to the best pitcher in baseball, Skubal could fetch a franchise-altering return package. It would set the Tigers' competitive timeline back a fair amount, and Detroit fans are tired of toiling in the MLB basement. But, several future All-Stars and high-upside prospects could be worth the price of a couple extra years stuck in the mud. Skubal is awesome, but the Tigers aren't necessarily on track to contend before his contract expires and the MLB's heavyweights start sniffing around in free agency.

It's worth consideration from Jeff Greenburg and the front office. But, as Murray notes, it's hard to imagine the Tigers going through with it. Skubal is a franchise building block and too incredible an asset for most teams to sacrifice. He is on the verge of bringing hardware to the Tigers' organization in a few months as the odds-on Cy Young favorite. Or, Detroit can trade him to Baltimore and watch Skubal hoist that trophy in Camden Yards. That would sting a bit, no?

MLB Rumors: Cardinals could target Rays ace Zach Eflin

The Tampa Bay Rays, currently .500 on the season and 10.0 games back of first place in the AL East, profile as one of the most interesting potential sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Robert Murray doesn't expect a "full-blown sell" by Tampa, but he does pinpoint one available trade chip and a logical suitor.

Zach Eflin, 30 years old and in the penultimate season of his contract (due $18 million in 2025), could end up on a new team in the coming weeks. The Rays are a notoriously cheap organization and could get spooked by next year's contract. Plus, with the market for starting pitching at an all-time high, now is a great chance for wayward Tampa Bay to cash in and restock its farm system.

As for the logical suitor, look west to the St. Louis Cardinals. After a strong few weeks leading up to the All-Star break, St. Louis is a surprising buyer, ready to contend for a Wild Card spot in the rough-and-tumble NL Central. Oli Marmol has found something with this group, and Eflin would address a key point of weakness in the starting rotation.

"You look at [Zach Eflin], he's a very dependable starting pitcher, was a good signing by the Rays. He's signed to an affordable number for next year, which makes him tradable," said Murray. "There's going to be plenty of interest, especially with so few starting pitchers out in the market right now... A team that makes a whole lot of sense for Zach Eflin would actually be the St. Louis Cardinals. They do need another starting pitcher. I expect them to add one eventually. I had somebody who has been around Eflin before tell me that if he ends up going to St. Louis, he could end up being their new version of Adam Wainwright."

A "new version of Adam Wainwright" surely appeals to the St. Louis fanbase. Eflin is a tough-as-nails, durable right-handed arm. Through 17 starts and 99.1 innings this season, he has a 3.99 ERA with 78 strikeouts and only nine walks allowed. Eflin's location control and pitch variety, headlined by a nasty sinker, should allow him to age well. His success is dependent on out-thinking and outmaneuvering the competition, setting up his defense for success rather than overpowering the hitter with velocity.

If the Cards add Eflin and continue their current offensive surge, we could be talking about St. Louis as a legitimate sleeper once the playoffs arrive.