Ranking the Cardinals 8 most valuable trade candidates to jumpstart their rebuild

#5 - Lars Nootbaar

The Athletic recently confirmed that back at the trade deadline, Lars Nootbaar was heavily in demand, but the Cardinals once again opted not to move their once-prized outfielder. That has proven to be a big mistake in light of his offseason heel surgeries.

Still, Nootbaar is a player that teams will likely target this offseason, as one of the most common needs amongst teams scouring the trade market is outfielders. While Nootbaar is in an odd position right now, teams will still want to add a talent like him to their mix.

It is hard to figure out how valuable Nootbaar would be in a trade this offseason. The Athletic stated that a market could develop for him as he progresses through his rehab, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed at least two teams had interest in Nootbaar prior to his surgeries.

On top of the surgeries, which are concerning due to the bleak timetables past MLB talents have had for recovery when they've had that procedure, Nootbaar is coming off the worst season of his big league career, slashing just .234/.325/.361 with 13 HR and 48 RBI in a career-high 135 games. The one positive of Nootbaar's season was how healthy he was compared to prior years, but the offseason surgery and dip in performance likely just mean he was playing through them and not getting the results he had before.

Still, Nootbaar is a 110 wRC+ bat for his career and has always been a statcast darling. In 2022, he posted a 123 wRC+ and 2.6 fWAR in just 108 games, and followed that up with a 118 wRC+ and 3.1 fWAR in 117 games in 2023. The 2024 season was a fine campaign for Nootbaar, but it is concerning that his numbers have declined year over year.

Like Gorman, I do wonder if the Cardinals decide to hold onto Nootbaar since his value is at an all-time low. Assuming a few other position players are moved, it shouldn't be difficult to find Nootbaar at-bats in 2026, and one-half of a rebound in performance and health on the field could drastically change his trade value.

If the Cardinals get a nice offer this offseason, they should pull the trigger. But if the offers coming in are relatively mediocre, Nootbaar won't be blocking anyone meaningful from playing time.