The St. Louis Cardinals still haven’t made a move on deadline day, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been sitting still. If anything, they’ve been working to squeeze real value out of their trade chips, with the bigger goal being to add meaningful pieces and keep building up the farm system.
Given where the Cardinals are right now - rebuilding and two games below .500 - the path is pretty clear. If they do make a move, they’re selling. And with less than 24 hours left, one name stands out as the player Chaim Bloom should be focused on: Lars Nootbaar.
That would have sounded almost impossible not long ago. Early in the year, after a strong return from offseason heel surgery, moving Nootbaar would have been hard to imagine. But his season has cooled off sharply, and he’s now hitting .234/.333/.354 with a .688 OPS.
Even with that drop, Nootbaar still brings real appeal. He has a history of being an above-average hitter, and his defense gives him value all over the outfield.
He’s also been a favorite in St. Louis since reaching the majors in 2021.
Still, the Cardinals are at a stage where sentiment can’t drive the decision.
There’s another reason this makes sense for the front office: teams have already shown interest in Nootbaar. If someone comes with a package the Cardinals can’t ignore, Bloom will have to at least listen. And with so many left-handed bats already in the mix, moving one more could help clear the congestion.
That would also open a lane for Joshua Baez, who is tearing up Triple-A Memphis and looks like he has little left to prove there. For St. Louis, creating space for him would fit the bigger picture of giving younger players more chances down the road.
Nootbaar is under club control through the 2027 season, though there’s a good chance he won’t be back in 2028. That only adds to the argument that now may be the right time to cash in.
The Cardinals don’t have to trade him. But if the right offer shows up, the combination of market interest, roster fit, and Baez’s push from below could make this the deadline move worth prioritizing.
And if Nootbaar’s time in St. Louis is ending, he’ll leave with plenty of goodwill from the fanbase.
In Other News...
Cardinals May Have Found The Deadline Partner Fans Were Waiting On
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The market has already been moving after a string of recent deals around the league, which only raises the odds that the right conversation can finally turn into something real. For the Cardinals, the appeal is obvious: a partner with clear needs and enough urgency to keep calling, even if the most interesting names in the mix are still just part of the speculation. [Read more 🡒]
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Condons appeal goes beyond one swing. His speed, hitting, fielding and arm strength have made him one of the more intriguing names in St. Louis pipeline, and the comparisons to Chicago Cubs standout Pete Crow-Armstrong only add to the intrigue. With several other notable prospects in the system, Condons progress is another part of why the Cardinals future has become a little more interesting to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Lars Nootbaar Trade Buzz Puts Cardinals Fans On Edge
With the Cardinals sliding out of the postseason picture, the trade deadline is shaping up as a reset point rather than a push, and Lars Nootbaar has surfaced as one of the more watchable names on the roster. The outfielder fits the kind of player that can draw interest when a club starts listening on veterans, especially for a team that may be leaning toward a broader rebuild and looking for ways to add future value.
That leaves Cardinals fans in an uneasy spot, because moving a familiar, productive regular would signal just how serious the club is about reshaping the roster. Nootbaar is still the kind of player contenders can talk themselves into, and once a name like his enters the market, the conversation around St. Louis quickly turns from what the team can salvage this season to what the next wave might look like. [Read more 🡒]