With the trade deadline down to its final three days, Lars Nootbaar has become one of the more intriguing names tied to the St. Louis Cardinals - and now the Houston Astros have entered the conversation.
Nootbaar, 28, has put together a .241/.347/.366 slash line with a .713 OPS and a 103 OPS+. He is still working his way back from double heel surgery he had this offseason, but since coming off the Injured List he has been healthy and has shown better athleticism. He can handle all three outfield spots, though left field remains his best fit.
Even with his name circulating, Nootbaar doesn’t sound like a player expecting a move. After Thursday’s game, he said he packed light for the trip to Canada to face the Toronto Blue Jays.
"I took that game personally and then sat there and kind of thought. If it is, it’s been great -- but I don’t expect anything to happen.”
Still, his combination of health, production and control has made him a natural fit for deadline chatter. He has 1.5 years of team control left, and in a market short on controllable outfielders, that matters.
The Astros, according to reporting, have at least discussed him internally. Chandler Rome, the Houston Astros insider for The Athletic, said on Crush City Territory that Nootbaar’s name has come up in Houston’s conversations.
"Lars Nootbaar's name has come up internally. He's someone the Astros have discussed," said Rome.
"He is the level that they could attain, but the price is high on him." Rome also said Nootbaar makes more sense for Houston than Daulton Varsho and George Springer because of the control and the production.
That fit is easy to see. Houston has been looking for a steady left fielder for years, and Nootbaar’s left-handed bat and on-base skills would help a lineup that has been middling in those areas.
The Astros are 14th in team on-base percentage at .316 and 16th in walk rate at 8.7%. Their outfield production has also lagged, with left fielders worth -0.7 bWAR, center fielders -1.5 bWAR and right fielders -0.8 bWAR.
For St. Louis, Nootbaar is one of several players on the market, including both rentals and controllable pieces.
If the Cardinals decide to move him, they should be able to land a meaningful return. Houston’s farm system is not especially deep, which means any deal would likely require multiple prospects or a major league player with control.
The names in Houston’s system that stand out are outfielder Kevin Alvarez, infielder Xavier Nayens and right-hander Bryce Mayer. The Cardinals could also include a pitcher such as Riley O'Brien or Dustin May to improve the package and potentially bring back a major league piece.
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