MLB insider brings up underdiscussed trade chip in potential Cardinals-Mariners swap

Offseason trade chatter regarding the St. Louis Cardinals has largely revolved around utilityman Brendan Donovan, who could be in high demand around the league after hitting .287 with a .775 OPS in 2025. Several teams have been rumored to be interested in Donovan, but analysts and reporters have repeatedly homed in on the Seattle Mariners as the club that makes the most sense for a Donovan trade.

However, according to one insider, Donovan might not be the only Cardinals fan favorite to head to Seattle in a deal.

Ken Rosenthal isn't ruling out Lars Nootbaar joining Brendan Donovan in a trade to the Mariners.

Rosenthal appeared on the "Foul Territory" podcast and mentioned that he saw Nootbaar joining Donovan in a trade to Seattle as a possibility. Since capturing the baseball world during the World Baseball Classic in 2023, Nootbaar has failed to live up to many fans' expectations as injuries have dogged him over the course of several seasons. Nootbaar hit .234 with a .686 OPS in 2025 while playing in a career-high 135 games. Following the season, news emerged that Nootbaar was dealing with Haglund's deformity — bone growths near the Achilles' tendon — which led to pain and reduced speed on the basepaths.

Nootbaar underwent surgery in October to correct the issue, but it leaves his status for Opening Day in 2026 uncertain. Nootbaar was reportedly a hot commodity at the trade deadline, but talks may have dried up for trade talks for teams who are unsure of how he will recover from the uncommon foot issue. Nootbaar was notably omitted from a December article by Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan that mentioned 40 of the top trade candidates around the league, which included five Cardinals. However, with the 28-year-old Nootbaar under team control through 2027, St. Louis would be wise to flip him to a contending team that believes he can break out.

The dreams of a Nootbaar explosion aren't unfounded: The outfielder's Statcast metrics continued to display high exit velocities, high hard-hit percentages and low chase rates, and with the Cardinals now fully committed to a rebuild, a career year from him would likely benefit a contending team far more than it would help the Cardinals.

If Donovan and Nootbaar are packaged in a deal with the Mariners, the Cardinals could receive a prize haul in pitching prospects from Seattle's overflowing farm system. With many Cardinals fans' patience wearing thin regarding Nootbaar's struggles to remain healthy and capitalize on his potential, placing him in the equation for a trade alongside Donovan may benefit all parties.