Cardinals Trade Idea: Former Phillies Top Prospect for Lars Nootbaar

The St. Louis Cardinals should consider a Lars Nootbaar trade this summer, although it would be tough.

Jun 22, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) i9s congratulated by second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are currently seven games above .500 at 42-35, but that doesn't mean that this club isn't going to look a bit different after the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline on Aug. 3.

With the deadline quickly approaching, the question around the Cardinals is going to be about whether they should sell off veteran pieces now, or wait until the offseason. St. Louis has played well enough this season to believe the rebuild is ahead of schedule, but it is still important to note that coming into the season, the plan was going to be development and potentially flipping more veterans for prospects.

Between now and Aug. 3, arguably the guy to watch on the Cardinals' roster is going to be Lars Nootbaar. Sure, guys like JoJo Romero, Riley O'Brien, and Dustin May could be trade chips as well, but Nootbaar arguably is the club's best trade candidate. He's 28 years old and has another season of control left in 2027. Also, he has been awesome since he returned from the Injured List. Nootbaar is slashing .291/.394/.473 with an .867 OPS, two homers, seven RBIs, and 10 walks. He underwent offseason surgery on both of his heels and has looked refreshed for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals Should Seriously Consider A Lars Nootbaar Trade

Jun 21, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) rounds the bases during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

For the Cardinals, they arguably should be looking to flip him ahead of the deadline because if a club acquires him, they would have him for more than just one season. For the right contender, that could be enough to convince them to offload a high-end prospect. The Brendan Donovan deal is likely aiming a bit too high because the Seattle Mariners got two full seasons of Donovan, but a slightly smaller version of that deal is what the team should be looking for.

The Philadelphia Phillies are a team to target. Philadelphia's biggest roster hole is in the outfield. This is also a team with an aging core that is in win-now mode. Plus, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi has certainly shown in the past that he's willing to go bold to help a team win in the present.

For the Cardinals, young pitching should be the priority. The Phillies just sent former top prospect Andrew Painter down to the minors after struggling to kick off his big league career with a 7.06 ERA in 14 appearances. This may be a pipe dream, but some sort of deal centered around Nootbaar and Painter would be amazing for St. Louis. If need be, throw in someone like Romero and call it a day. Sure, Painter struggled out the gate for the Phillies, but he's a 23-year-old former first-round pick and former top prospect.

If the Cardinals were to trade Nootbaar, they'd be just fine in the outfield as well. Cardinals No. 3 prospect Joshua Báez is tearing his way through Triple-A right now with 25 homers and 64 RBIs in 67 games. If Nootbaar is traded, all of a sudden, an everyday spot would be open in the outfield. It would be sad to see Nootbaar go, but the Cardinals should give Philadelphia a call.