Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar Speaks For Team When Asked About Nolan Arenado Trade Saga

St. Louis doesn't sound worried about where the fan favorite will end up
Nate Hagerty|
Sep 15, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar (68) reacts after robbing New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (not pictured) of a home run during the seventh inning in front of third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar (68) reacts after robbing New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (not pictured) of a home run during the seventh inning in front of third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals should've traded superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado much earlier this offseason but several mitigating factors have blocked them from completing a deal.

First, Arenado's full no-trade clause limited his trade market to roughly six teams. Then, the eight-time All-Star rejected a trade to the Houston Astros. Finally, 3B Alex Bregman delayed his signing until this Wednesday night with the Boston Red Sox -- Nado's top choice.

There's uncertainty surrounding Arenado's future in St. Louis. When asked to share his opinion on the matter recently, Lars Nootbaar spoke for himself and his whole team.

"Says outfielder Lars Nootbaar of an unlikely Arenado reunion: 'For me, I’ll be excited,'" as transcribed by USA Today's Gabe Lacques on Thursday. "'Because we get Nolan back. He’s my boy. He’s a lot of guys’ boy here. I’m excited to see him. I think he’s excited to see a lot of us, too. If he goes somewhere else, so be it. But at the end of the day, if he ends up here, we’re all going to be excited about it.'”

Nootbaar, an instant Cardinals fan favorite, has batted .246 with 113 extra-base hits including 45 home runs, 146 RBIs and a .773 OPS throughout his four-year career with the Cardinals. Some believe the 27-year-old will have a dominant 2025 season.

Earlier in the offseason, it seemed as if Arenado was definitely going to be traded at some point. However, the Astros blockbuster is the only legitimate deal the Cardinals have encountered for the 10-time Gold Glove defender all winter.

Arenado might have endured the worst offensive campaign of his career in 2024 but he's still a future Hall of Fame candidate who feels he has something to prove to himself and the rest of the league. Could he be poised for a bounce-back season just as Nootbaar is ready for a breakout year?

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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