Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar, Riley O'Brien, More Expected to Draw Trade Interest

The Cardinals aren't out of the woods.

Jun 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) throws in relief against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off of two consecutive series wins against playoff contending ballclubs. They seem to have pulled themselves back together following a few series losses.

However, they are going to have some tough decisions to make at the trade deadline. They aren't going to chase rentals if they add any pieces. They'll only look for ways to find players that have a few years of club control left. Pitching is an area they could focus on if they want controllable players.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes that while the Cardinals could look to add in the coming weeks, there still is going to be a lot of interest in some of their potential trade pieces and that Chaim Bloom could listen.

"Rival clubs also are likely to show interest in right-hander Dustin May, closer Riley O’Brien, left-handed reliever JoJo Romero and outfielder Lars Nootbaar. All are vital to the success of the 2026 Cardinals. But Bloom at least holds the option of maneuvering creatively and turning one or more of them into pieces for now and the future."

Cardinals expected to receive trade interest in several players

Apr 13, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA;St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

O'Brien and Nootbaar each have at least another year of club control after 2026, while May, Romero and Ryne Stanek are each on expiring contracts. Parting with Nootbaar wouldn't be popular with the fanbase, but it would clear a spot for Joshua Baez to come up to the major leagues and claim a starting outfield spot.

O'Brien could bring back a few solid prospects given that he has four years of club control remaining. Even if the Cardinals are still winning, it would be wise for them to focus on the future and try to capitalize on the value of some of their players.

May and Romero make sense as trade chips, as they likely will not be back in St. Louis in 2027, so trading them now would make sense so the Cardinals don't lose them for nothing more than draft pick compensation.

It will be interesting to see how Bloom operates. He has to stay focused on the future, but there might be a way for the Cardinals to make moves in both the buying and selling directions this summer as they assess their needs for the future.

They are still rebuilding, but they have played a lot better than expected this season and could be in the market for some upgrades.