Cardinals Trade Speculation Heating Up; Young OF Predicted To Be Traded

The Cardinals could look to move on from a few key players in the winter...

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2025 season is officially over, and they'll be forced to watch three National League Central rival teams, the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds, compete for the World Series this October.

Something like that should sting in the hearts of every player, coach, and member of the Cardinals' organization, especially when the team has enough talent to make a run in the next few years. Once the offseason hits, the Cardinals should be focused on making sure something like this never happens again, even if that means cutting ties with valuable assets to push the team forward.

Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants recently predicted outfielder Lars Nootbaar wouldn't survive the roster overhaul expected to take place when Chaim Bloom takes over as the president of baseball operations this winter.

Lars Nootbaar could be traded in the coming months

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 Cardinals' outfield is far from set in stone next year, but if Willson Contreras does stick around and JJ Wetherholt is assumed to be taking an infield spot, the Cardinals already need to find playing time for Alec Burleson, Victor Scott II, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and possibly others.," Jacobs wrote. "Ivan Herrera is supposed to be catching again next year, which does help out with that mix.

"This would be selling low on Nootbaar if the Cardinals dealt him this offseason, but with two years until free agency and already being 28 years old, I think Chaim Bloom is ready to get prospects back for him. Don't get me wrong, Nootbaar is still a valuable player, and I know contenders will make nice offers for him. But it just likely won't match the hype he came with for so long, but it's time to bite the bullet."

It would be foolish to believe Nootbaar, after a disappointing year, would net too much on the trade block, but there's likely going to be a handful of teams vying for his services if he's shopped.

Given his age and potential, the Cardinals could land a solid prospect or two, but it wouldn't be anything franchise-altering.

Still, Nootbaar wasn't good this year and it's hard to imagine he can quickly turn it around, especially with his playing time expected to be limited going forward. At this point, a trade makes plenty of sense.

More MLB: Cardinals Pitcher Under Fire, Blamed For St. Louis' Disastrous Year