Cardinals add Brian Curley to Lars Nootbaar trade return, much to Diamondbacks fans' dismay

The last piece of the Lars Nootbaar deal from this past trade deadline has been announced. The St. Louis Cardinals will be acquiring RHP Brian Curley as the PTBNL. 

Curley, 23, was the 92nd overall pick in the 2025 draft out of the University of Georgia. 

As a Bulldog, the right-hander held a 3.55 ERA, started 10 of the 17 games he appeared in, and locked down two saves. He tossed 66 innings before the Diamondbacks selected him in the MLB draft. 

As you can see, Curley is a “jack of all trades” on the hill—something the Cardinals have been desperate for in recent seasons. 

Brian Curley is a really interesting pickup for the Cardinals

In 2026, St. Louis looked at its Opening Day roster and saw a healthy starting rotation and multiple backend bullpen arms. Unfortunately, when some of the options fell through, depth was tested, exposed, and never really renewed. 

Curley will immediately become organizational depth, and if he takes the next step, he could be a guy to taxi squad as soon as 2028. 

This past season, Curley split time between the High-A and Double-A affiliates for the Arizona Diamondbacks. At season’s end, he had a 5.59 ERA in 116 innings and 23 games started—not great. 

When you zoom out, however, you realize the real battle he was fighting. 

Curley went from a flex option at Georgia to a near bona fide starter. In his first professional season—which provides enough of a transition as is—he was tasked with learning the ropes of a new role and trying to succeed in it. 

He actually did find some success before being promoted. In his first 69.2 innings at the High-A level, he accrued a much more respectable 4.91 ERA and struck out a whopping 11.6 batters per nine innings. 

After being promoted and pitted against the likes of Double-A, which can often be the “cream of the crop” for minor league talent (see: Springfield Cardinals roster), Curley struggled. His 6.60 ERA for the rest of the season wasn’t what anyone hoped for, but it leaves room for improvement as he marches on. 

With this move, Chaim Bloom and the rest of the Cardinals’ front office continue to double down on pitching emphasis. Curley might not be the biggest name they’ve acquired. Still, he represents a piece of an organizationally large puzzle being built around powerful arms, bats, and personalities. 

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