Dodgers Could Help Cardinals With Trade For Fan-Favorite Player

This can work out well for St. Louis.

Apr 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are fielding interest in a number of players this offseason. Their top trade candidates are Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and JoJo Romero.

Those are the most likely players to move this winter, but they may not stop there. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Los Angeles Dodgers are showing interest in another player that might not be at the top of their trade list.

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Dodgers Interest In Fan Favorite Could Benefit Cardinals

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

“The most active seller in the trade market, the St. Louis Cardinals, continue to discuss a wide range of players, including infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan, outfielder Lars Nootbaar, first baseman Willson Contreras, third baseman Nolan Arenado and lefty reliever Jo Jo Romero,” Rosenthal wrote. 

“The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams interested in Nootbaar.

Nootbaar is currently recovering from two heel surgeries, which may cost him a chance to be ready by Opening Day in 2026. He had a tough season in 2025, hitting .234/.325/.361 with 13 home runs and a 95 OPS+.

However, he can still play solid outfield defense and can be a strong hitter if he can stay healthy. Injuries have been his problem over the past several years.

But the Dodgers could really help the Cardinals out if they trade for him. St. Louis has far too many left-handed bats and not enough places to put them.

Moving Nootbaar could allow them a chance to clear some space on their roster for other moves and cut down on the number of left-handed bats they have in the system, especially with top prospect JJ Wetherholt on the way.

Nootbaar won’t get the Cardinals a haul, but he does have two years of team control left. The Cardinals may not sell very high on him, but they could at least trim some of the fat on their roster, and the Dodgers do have a lot of young pitching depth that they could send the Cardinals’ way.

The 28-year-old might just need a fresh start somewhere, and sending him to a contender like the Dodgers could help him. He is from the Los Angeles area too, so he would have a chance to play closer to home.

We’ll see if a deal materializes between the two teams.

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