Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar Floated as Phillies Fit and It Makes Sense

The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder is someone who could fetch a pretty penny in the trade market if he was available.

Jun 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) reacts after hitting a go ahead two run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly have some pieces on the roster that other teams will have their eyes on ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline, although that doesn't mean that they will end up being on the move.

For example, Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar will certainly be someone under a microscope over the next few months. He's back after undergoing offseason surgery on both of his heels and has nine games under his belt so far this season. Nootbaar is a 28-year-old outfielder with one more season of control. If he was healthy this past offseason, he would've been talked about in a similar way as Brendan Donovan as a trade chip with multiple years of control left. But he had surgery and his trade value certainly wasn't high after that.

Now, he's healthy and showing the Cardinals — and teams around the league — what he can do. With Nootbaar, we predicted that he will not end up getting traded in large part because of how well the team is playing right now. If the Cardinals keep up this level of play, they could simply wait until the offseason to look to make a deal if they want to move him. There are varying opinions out there. For example, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Phillies are "desperately" looking for an outfielder. CBS Sports' Dayn Perry shared a column highlighting five outfielders for the Phillies to target and Nootbaar popped up on the list.

The Cardinals Outfielder Will Be Under A Microscope

Jun 12, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) celebrates his run against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

"Nootbaar's off to a scorching start after his return from bilateral heel surgery," Perry wrote. "That condition almost certainly dragged down his numbers last season, and he's been in peak form and then some since coming back. Will the Cardinals part with the popular fly-catcher? Coming into the season, he seemed a sure thing to be moved, but the surprising Cards (37-29) are in the top wild card position in the NL, and Nootbaar's return helped them lengthen what had been a badly top-heavy lineup.

"Maybe if prospect Joshua Báez continues thumping at Triple-A, the Cardinals will consider parting with Nootbaar."

On the Phillies front, this idea would make a lot of sense simply because of the injuries that have been piling up. Adolis García and Johan Rojas are both on the 60-Day Injured List. Rojas will not return in 2026.

If the Cardinals are going to trade Nootbaar, the Phillies are the type of team that they should target. Philadelphia has a legit need in the outfield and because it could be a contender this season, maybe the Cardinals could get a big return. If the Cardinals moved Nootbaar, then they could easily promote No. 3 prospect Joshua Báez and go from there.

As of right now, this is just speculation. The Cardinals are playing well enough to the point that they don't need to go out and trade pieces away. If a team, like Philadelphia, is desperate enough to make a big offer, then you consider it. But if not, it wouldn't hurt to hold Nootbaar until the offseason and go from there.