Cardinals Trade Speculation Heating Up; Star Outfielder Might Be Dealt

The Cardinals would benefit from cutting ties with outfielder Lars Nootbaar this winter...

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 St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding as aggressively as almost any team in the league. They traded a trio of relievers at the trade deadline last year as they looked to net a haul of prospects. While none of these traded landed star prospects, they bolstered the farm system.

This winter, the Cardinals have traded Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras to net a massive return of prospects. But they don't seem like they're done yet.

Brendan Donovan might be the team's top trade chip right now. He's likely going to be moved ahead of the season if the Cardinals can land the trade package they want. Teams like the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners make sense as suitors for the All-Star.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

But Donovan isn't the only trade chip left on the Cardinals' roster.

Just Baseball's Ryan Murphy recently suggested the Cardinals could also look to trade outfielder Lars Nootbaar in the coming weeks.

Lars Nootbaar could be the next Cardinals star to be traded

Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) makes the catch on a fly ball to left field by San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals could also move off of Lars Nootbaar this year. The 28 year-old outfielder still has two years of team control remaining," Murphy wrote. "However, Nootbaar has slowed down the past few years after a hot start to his MLB career. Injuries have been a big factor, but he has shown to be a reliable outfielder when healthy."

Noorbaar has been mixed in trade rumors for a few weeks, but nothing has come to fruition. However, the trade speculation is seemingly heating up with each passing day.

With Luis Robert Jr. off the market in a deal with the New York Mets, Nootbaar should be a bit more valuable. The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays could target a trade for Nootbaar, depending on where Cody Bellinger signs.

The Houston Astros might be in the market to add an outfielder. Although intra-division trades are rare, the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates would also make sense as logical fits for the outfielder.

Either way, the Cardinals' rebuild would take another step in the right direction if they're able to land a haul of prospects for Nootbaar.

More MLB: Cardinals Slugger Quickly Emerging As Offseason Trade Candidate