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.

Global Interest

Before the World Baseball Classic, Lars Nootbaar was known to fans within the St. Louis bubble, but not many people outside of the bubble knew who he was. He had a funny name, sure, but what was he like?

The WBC catapulted him into stardom, both in the States and in Japan. His Instagram following blew up and has surpassed one million followers already. He was the first player in Japan's baseball history to play for the national team despite not being born in the country itself.

His international stardom can be attributed to his personality and play on the world stage. He made stellar plays in center, led off for the team, and stole two bases throughout the international tournament. Most important, however, was his relationship with the local media and fans. Videos of Lars leading the team before the games and interacting with fans became viral. Nootbaar made it his purpose to cherish the fans and players whom he had never met before and may never see again.

Chris Rose of Jomboy Media interviewed Nootbaar back in April to discuss the WBC. It's a great listen if you have about 45 minutes of your time. In the interview, the two discuss all things World Baseball Classic. Rose does a good job of giving listeners a bit of insight into the player who is Lars Nootbaar.

The international market for a player like Lars Nootbaar can't be matched (except by Shohei Ohatani). I can only imagine the financial benefits of keeping a player with a star as bright and wide as he would be.