Why is the St. Louis Cardinals' outfielder Lars Nootbaar "untouchable"?

Lars Nootbaar is a global sensation. The World Baseball Classic introduced millions of new fans to him (literally, as his Instagram following ballooned). The third-year player provides a sense of fun, funk, and frivolity to a game that could use a little more of each. Fans often see him smiling and poking fun in the dugout each game while playing his heart out on the field.

Drafted in the 8th round of the 2018 draft out of the University of Southern California, Nootbaar took a steady ascent to the majors. He saw time at every minor league stadium the Cardinals had, including a performance in the Fall League in 2021 after a brief stint in the majors that same year.

The St. Louis Cardinals are lucky to have him on the team. His talent, global attraction, and personality are all great attributes to have in a player. However, these three attributes make him an attractive trade candidate for other teams as well. Outfielders can be sold for a high price most seasons, particularly this one as teams like the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Philadelphia Phillies, and Miami Marlins could all use upgrades in the grass.

Given the Cardinals' stance as sellers this deadline, it stands to reason that virtually any player is available given the right return; this would include Lars Nootbaar. Consequently, the front office and sports writer Derrick Goold has consistently stated that they fully intend on keeping Lars Nootbaar on the team. Why is this? Wouldn't he command a hefty return of both major leaguers and near-ready players? Why hold onto one player who is good when you can garner two or three who could be just as good or better?

Let's take a look into three reasons why the Cardinals would keep Lars Nootbaar at this trade deadline and why he is considered "untouchable" by the team.

His On-Field Play

Nootbaar is a player who can perform well on both sides of the ball. His offense is consistently above average (112 OPS+ for his career), and he has been able to log a positive Outs Above Average statistic since his induction in the major league. He has a strong arm and great range in the outfield.

Perhaps the biggest chip in Nootbaar's on-field favor would be his underlying metrics. When looking at his Baseball Savant page, there is a lot of red to see. His xwOBA, walk percentage, max exit velocity, whiff percentage, and chase rate are all in the 75th percentile or above. Only his outfield jump, hard hit percentage, K rate, and expected slugging are below average (though none are lower than the 45th percentile). It stands to reason that he will find some more power as he continues to grow offensively.

Additionally, Nootbaar is able to spread his hits around the field. While the shift is a thing of the past, having a hitter who can spray the ball anywhere still creates a challenge when the opposing team is positioning its players.

A slash line of .257/.356/.382 on a player who has 4.5 years of control left is not someone that should be traded. Nootbaar's on-field performance is much more valuable over the length of his control than the players that could be brought in after a trade.

His Personality

In May, Lars penned an autobiography on The Players' Tribune website. The piece gave insight into who the outfielder is. Readers got to know what his life was like as a child, in high school, in the minors, and how he filled his time after the 2020 minor league season was canceled. Spoiler: he worked a job just like the rest of us.

One part of strong writing is voice. Voice can be best described as the ability of a reader to see the personality of the author through the writing. Lars' story is filled with voice. He discusses his favorite memories, funny stories throughout his time playing baseball, and lessons learned in every stage of his life. This life story is what has made him such an appealing player for fans and players alike.

In addition to his on-field performances, Lars brings energy to the clubhouse. He started the pepper grinder celebration (and brought it to Japan), he cracks jokes in the dugout, and he keeps things loose in general.

Obviously, once you get to the big leagues it can be real serious. Winning is the No. 1 goal, but you can do that having a little fun. The guys appreciate keeping it a little bit loose. They have good personalities.

Having a player who can hit well, provides strong defense, is an international star, and is a great clubhouse guy is tough to find. The Cardinals have that in Nootbaar. He is here to stay, and the team won't (and shouldn't) trade him away regardless of the return.