The St. Louis Cardinals have been cooling off as of late, as they have lost seven out of their last 10 games. With this, they now have a 53-52 record and are 1.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wild-card spot in the National League. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals are also both ahead of St. Louis on the wrong side of the playoff line.
With this, the Cardinals’ playoff hopes are certainly not gone. However, at the same time, it is fair to wonder if they will end up trading away some of their veterans. Keep in mind, the Cardinals are still a team focused on the future.
Because of this, the Cardinals are now being predicted to move on from one of their notable outfielders.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Tim Britton predicted that the Cardinals will end up trading outfielder Lars Nootbaar by the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.
“If not for last winter’s bilateral heel surgery, Nootbaar would have already been sent elsewhere,” Britton wrote. “There are multiple contenders for whom he’d be an upgrade right now, and Chaim Bloom has shown a willingness to extend opportunities to younger players.”
When noting that Nootbaar has been in the rumor mill for a long time now, it is certainly fair to wonder if the Cardinals will move him ahead of the deadline. He would have the potential to get them a solid return in a move.
Cardinals Are in a Position to Sell High on Lars Nootbaar
With the Cardinals being a team that is focused on the future, it would make sense if they looked to move Nootbaar ahead of the deadline. His trade value is good right now, as he is in the middle of a solid 2026 season with the Cardinals. It is also important to note that he is under team control until the end of next season, meaning he would be more than a rental for any interested clubs. This only adds to his appeal, and several contenders could call the Cardinals about him because of it.
With this, it could be wise for the Cardinals to listen to trade offers for Nootbaar now. They could get a solid return of prospects for the 28-year-old outfielder or even move him to improve their current roster elsewhere. Thus, the El Segundo, California native could certainly be a nice trade chip for St. Louis right now.
Which Teams Could Look to Acquire Cardinals’ Nootbaar?
With Nootbaar being in the middle of another solid season, he could generate interest from multiple teams leading up to the deadline. A few specific teams that could make sense as landing spots for the Cardinals’ outfielder include the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Tampa Bay Rays.
It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals decide to do with Nootbaar leading up to the trade deadline from here. It would not hurt to keep him around down the stretch, but it also would make sense if they sold high on him.
St. Louis Cardinals Predicted to Trade $5.35M Outfielder