Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Fan-Favorite Is 'Expendable' In One Scenario

What will the Cardinals do this winter on the trade market?
Patrick McAvoy|
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
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

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St. Louis Cardinals

Who is safe on the St. Louis Cardinals' roster heading into the offseason?

That's a much more interesting question than who could be on the way out of town because at this point, it seems like very few people actually are secured with the regular season winding down. Shortstop Masyn Winn, starting pitcher Michael McGreevy, and No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt are the three who seem most safe heading into the offseason. The guys with no-trade clauses (Sonny Gray, Nolan Areando, and Willson Contreras) all control their own fate.

But, everything seems completely up in the air. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal talked about the Cardinals and one guy he said could be "expendable" is Lars Nootbaar.

What will the Cardinals do this winter?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar
Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) at bat against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"First baseman Willson Contreras has said he does not want to waive his no-trade clause," Rosenthal said. "Outfielder Lars Nootbaar could be expendable if the Cardinals commit to Victor Scott II and/or Nathan Church. Jimmy Crooks heads the team’s deep list of catching prospects, and top prospect JJ Wetherholt should fit somewhere in the team’s infield. Cardinals fans can take comfort in this much: While Chaim Bloom’s four years in Boston were turbulent, the team’s incoming head of baseball operations helped set up the Red Sox for their current success.

"Under Bloom, the Red Sox drafted Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, two of the four players they traded for Garrett Crochet and their latest pitching callup, Connelly Early. Bloom also drafted the pitching prospect Craig Breslow later traded for Carlos Narváez, and acquired Wilyer Abreu from the Astros in a trade for Christian Vázquez."

The Cardinals have just a few days left before the regular season finishes. Unlike some teams, the Cardinals won't really get a break, though. The brand new front office is coming in led by Chaim Bloom and he'll have to get this roster up and ready to go. There's already been plenty of buzz about St. Louis. This upcoming offseason is going to be monumental for the future of this organization. That's aggressive, but true with the John Mozeliak era ending.

More MLB: Cardinals' Victor Scott Took A Step Towards St. Louis Hall Of Famer

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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