Why The Diamondbacks Traded for Lars Nootbaar at the Deadline

The Arizona Diamondbacks were limited to just one deal at this year's Trade Deadline, despite heading into the August 3 cutoff as buyers.

Arizona made a swap with the St. Louis Cardinals not long before the 3:00 p.m. MST deadline. They traded for lefty-hitting outfielder Lars Nootbaar, while giving up No. 5 prospect Daniel Eagen, left-handed minor-leaguer Sandro Santana and a player to be named later.

So, what is it about Nootbaar that stood out to the D-backs? GM Mike Hazen met with the media at Chase Field to discuss the trade:

Diamondbacks' Mike Hazen discusses Nootbaar trade

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen during spring training workouts at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick near Scottsdale on Feb. 20, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Nootbaar, who has only played 48 games this season due to beginning the year on the injured list. He has just three home runs and a .687 OPS in 2026. For his career, he has a .742 OPS and double-digit home runs in every season but two.

"We think, as a left-handed hitter coming in, hitting in our lineup, it's a good fit from the way he goes about it," Hazen said of Nootbaar.

"We've had some issues as we've gone through the season against right-handed pitching, so we felt like that was one of the bigger needs that we wanted to address coming out of the deadline."

Offense was certainly a need for the D-backs, as they currently hold the 22nd-ranked team OPS in baseball at .705. Hazen said addressing the offensive side of the ball was "more the priority" than pitching, though Arizona did unsuccessfully attempt to add pitching.

Nootbaar's abilities, though not the type that jump off the page in terms of mind-blowing slug, could be a good complement to the D-backs' lineup. His peripheral metrics are sturdy.

He might not hit many home runs, but Nootbar has a well-above-average walk rate, taking free passes at a career clip near 13% while keeping strikeouts to around a 20% rate. He's an on-base player rather than a slugger, though the Diamondbacks could have used both of those types of bat.

"The ability to get on base. He's a good hitter. He's a good baseball player. I think he fits what we're trying to do offensively," Hazen said.

Jul 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) celebrates after catching a fly ball hit by Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (not shown) during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nootbaar has also been a quality defender in left field. What he has, that no other D-backs outfielders seem to possess, is a very strong throwing arm. He also has above-average sprint speed and is still just 28 years old, with another year of club control beyond 2026.

He will be owed under $2 million for the remainder of the season, so he'll help keep the Diamondbacks below the Competitive Balance Tax threshold.

"I've always been a big Lars Nootbaar fan," manager Torey Lovullo said. "I've watched him progress early on in his career... and it looked like he settled in a little bit, has a nice approach. I think he fits our offensive profile very well."

"He was injured at the beginning of the year. He missed a lot of time, I know that, so hopefully he hasn't hit his stride yet, and when he comes here, he will," the manager said,

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