Cardinals Fan Favorite Could Be Next Domino After Brendan Donovan Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals took another step towards rebuilding on Monday afternoon, finally finding a new home for Brendan Donovan. The team sent him to the Seattle Mariners in a three-way trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. But that may not be the end of it. There are still moves they could make.

One player that teams had interest in earlier in the offseason, but to a far lesser extent was Lars Nootbaar. He will likely begin the season on the injured list due to double heel surgery back in October. With Donovan now in Seattle, could Nootbaar be next?

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Why Nootbaar makes sense?

Trading Donovan made sense so the Cardinals could clear second base for top prospect JJ Wetherholt. The Cardinals also needed to move a left-handed bat to alleviate their logjam. However, Wetherholt is also a left-handed bat, so they are essentially swapping one out for another.

Nootbaar's value is likely low due to his heel surgeries, so if he is traded, fans shouldn't expect a sexy return. But they can still get something for him as long as they don't sell too low. They also still have a lot of left-handed bats and spots to clear for younger players like Joshua Baez, who could make his Major League debut at some point this year.

This also could leave room for them to target an ideal right-handed bat. They had interest in Austin Hays before he signed with the Chicago White Sox, and are still being connected to Miguel Andujar. But at the time, Hays wouldn't have been guaranteed a starting spot with the Cardinals.

If Nootbaar is traded, the Cardinals can ensure that for a right-handed bat such as Andujar. It could also allow them to get creative with Alec Burleson and potentially play him in the outfield some.

Nootbaar is a fan favorite, so it would be tough for fans to say goodbye to him. But if it helps them accomplish their long-term goal of rebuilding and getting back to where they once were, then it's worth it to at least consider moving Nootbaar.

Again, if he is moved, it won't be for anything substantial, but that could open the door for them to sign a right-handed outfield bat and have him play every day rather than just serve as a platoon piece.

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