Cardinals 28-Year-Old In Play For Mets After Bo Bichette Deal

The St. Louis Cardinals should be monitoring the market very closely right now.

Big-name stars are flying off the market left and right. The Cardinals traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks as the team's third big deal of the winter, after trading both Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox.

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Outside of St. Louis, Alex Bregman landed with the Chicago Cubs, Kyle Tucker went to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bo Bichette went to the New York Mets, and Ranger Suárez went to the Red Sox.

The Cardinals outfielder is someone to watch

Aug 31, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) high fives teammates after scoring on a sacrifice fly out hit by third baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

While the Cardinals aren't likely to add a big-name player by any means, they still have pieces worth watching on the trade block. For example, ESPN's Jorge Castillo called Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar an option for the Mets after missing on Tucker, despite landing Bichette.

"The Mets want to acquire a starting pitcher and maybe an outfielder," Castillo wrote. "Who, exactly, is unclear. For the outfield, they wanted Tucker, the consensus top free agent on the market, whom they offered a competitive short-term contract before he joined the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They pivoted to sign Bichette to handle third base -- a position he has never played as a professional.

"Free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger made sense for the Mets, but now that Bichette -- and his $42 million average annual value -- is on the books, a cheaper alternative is likely, at least as long as Bellinger continues to seek a seven-year deal. Having Brett Baty, who was previously projected to start at third base, play left field is a possibility. Other options include Harrison Bader, a former Met, in free agency, or acquiring an outfielder such as Lars Nootbaar via trade."

If the Cardinals were to deal Nootbaar away, St. Louis would likely need to add a veteran outfielder. Victor Scott II is set to be in center field and Jordan Walker is set for right field. If Brendan Donovan isn't traded, an outfield of Donovan, Walker, and Scott would be good if Nootbaar got dealt. If Nootbaar and Donovan were both traded, that's when the club would need to add a bat, and preferably a right-handed one at that.

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