Lars Nootbaar Quietly Trending Up Before Cardinals Spring Training

The offseason is winding down and the St. Louis Cardinals already have four major trades under their belt.

At this point, it would be somewhat surprising to see another one, unless it centered around relief pitcher JoJo Romero. Throughout the offseason, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras were the team's most talked-about trade candidates. All four have been moved.

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Romero is another guy who got some buzz early on, but things slowed down on that front. The Cardinals' roster is likely going to look very similar to how it does right now when Spring Training kicks off next week and potentially when Opening Day rolls around. Another guy who appeared to be a trade candidate right when the offseason began was Lars Nootbaar, but things died down on that front as well for the most part after he underwent surgery on his heels. His status has been up in the air all offseason, but The Athletic's Katie Woo and Will Sammon had a positive update on Wednesday noting that if he does need to miss time in the season, it's not expected to be more than a few weeks.

The Cardinals outfielder had offseason surgery

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 Cardinals did look to boost areas of their roster, specifically with cost-effective veterans who could be flipped at the deadline," Woo and Sammon wrote. "St. Louis signed right-hander Dustin May to a one-year, $12 million deal in December, with a $20 million mutual option and a $500,000 buyout. In January, it added righty reliever Ryne Stanek on a one-year, $3.5 million pact with a club option for 2027 worth $6 million. Should Bloom add an outfielder through free agency, expect a similarly structured deal.

"Victor Scott II is expected to be the club’s starting center fielder but Nathan Church will see reps as well. It’s also a prove-it year for Jordan Walker, who turns 24 in May. Lars Nootbaar might not be ready for Opening Day as he recovers from double-heel surgery, but he is not expected to miss more than a few weeks if that is the case. Having an experienced veteran patrol the outfield, especially if Nootbaar starts the year on the IL, would give St. Louis some insurance as its younger talent navigates through the early season."

Nootbaar's trade value certainly isn't high right now as he recovers from offseason surgery. If he can return to the mix quickly to begin the season, he'll be someone to watch when the trade deadline rolls around.

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