Cardinals 5-Year Veteran Generating Early Trade Rumors

Who could be traded this winter by the St. Louis Cardinals?

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

There are veterans to watch on the St. Louis Cardinals' roster as trade rumors heat up not named Nolan Arenado or Sonny Gray.

Those two are going to be the guys that get the most heat because they have been All-Stars in this league and are expensive. But, it's an offseason of change for the Cardinals with Chaim Bloom taking over as the president of baseball operations and everyone on the roster should be under a microscope in some way, outside of guys like Masyn Winn and Michael McGreevy.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon had some updates on the trade block from the general manager meetings and noted that the Cardinals are expected to listen to offers on Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, and Pedro Páges but would prefer to keep Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera.

"St. Louis also is expecting to entertain trade offers on Lars Nootbaar, who was in heavy demand at the deadline," Rosenthal and Sammon said. "Nootbaar, 28, underwent double heel surgery at the end of the season, putting his Opening Day availability — and overall trade value — in question. Still, with several teams searching for outfield help, a market could develop for Nootbaar, especially as his recovery progresses. The Cardinals would prefer to keep Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera, but will field calls on the majority of the roster, including Nolan Gorman and Pedro Páges."

There are a lot of moving parts with the St. Louis Cardinals

Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) hits a one run single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The idea of looking to trade Nootbaar, even coming off surgery makes sense from the perspective that MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that there are "numerous teams" looking to add a starting outfielder.

"Observation from the GM Meetings: Numerous teams have told me they are looking to add at least one everyday outfielder," Morosi said. "If you are a GM with outfield depth, this is the offseason to trade from it."

If this offseason is going to feature teams overpaying to add starting outfielders, the Cardinals absolutely have to consider a move. The Cardinals have Victor Scott II and Jordan Walker, who can occupy two of the spots. If the Cardinals traded Nootbaar, they could keep Burleson and have him play some outfield or even keep Brendan Donovan and utilize him in one of the outfield spots to mitigate the loss of Nootbaar.

Gorman and Páges make sense as trade chips. Gorman is young with impressive power, but hasn't been able to find consistent success in St. Louis. For Páges, he was good in 2025, but St. Louis just has so much catching depth that it makes sense to trade from it.

If Herrera can fully return to catching duties in 2026, there will be fewer opportunities to go around for someone like Páges. Herrera is a long-term piece, Páges isn't the same level. Burleson should be in that situation as well as a long-term piece after just winning his first Silver Slugger Award.

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