Royals Could Poach 27-Year-Old Away From Cardinals To Strengthen Lineup

It would be an under-the-radar move with a ton of potential...

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

The 2025 Kansas City Royals have a trio of outfielders who don’t rake.

So far, anyway.

Entering Sunday, Kansas City’s starting outfield of MJ Melendez, Hunter Renfroe, and Kyle Isbel had combined for 19 of the team’s 105 total hits, one of the team’s seven home runs, and six of the team’s 48 RBI on the season.

The Royals have stayed afloat with an 8-8 record due to a solid rotation and plate production from Bobby Witt Jr. (expected) and Maikel Garcia (unexpected).

At some point, though, Kansas City’s complete lack of slug from its outfield is going to cost them. The American League Central is far too competitive for the Royals to keep on keeping on with their outfield as constructed.

The question is, who will Kansas City bring in via trade?

Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox or Ceddanne Rafaela of the Boston Red Sox are big-budget options for the Royals, but if they’re not looking to overspend, they might call the Los Angeles Dodgers about Andy Pages.

Here’s another intriguing, low-cost outfield target for Kansas City: Lars Nootbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals.

If the Cardinals start stacking losses like everyone expects them to, St. Louis could be open to selling Nootbaar, who has looked poised for a career year thus far in 2025, slashing .259/.386/.379 with two home runs and six RBI on a $2.95 million salary (per Spotrac).

Those aren’t numbers that’ll wow anyone, but Nootbaar would be a gigantic upgrade at the plate in place of Melendez, Renfroe, or Isbel at this point.

It would be on brand for the Royals to snag an under-the-rader guy like Nootbaar rather than a Robert Jr. or Rafaela, so definitely keep an eye on Kansas City in connection to the 27-year-old Nootbaar, especially if the Cardinals start to flounder.

More MLB: Royals Could Consider Big Trade For White Sox $50 Million All-Star