Cardinals trade proposal sends fan favorite outfielder to Astros

In nan build-up to nan MLB waste and acquisition deadline, nan St. Louis Cardinals are successful an overseas spot. With nan squad sitting conscionable 5 games down nan Chicago Cubs for nan National League Central section lead, nan Cardinals are acold from retired of nan postseason hunt.

But if nan Cardinals suffer a setback and statesman to suffer immoderate games successful a row, they could very easy go sellers astatine nan MLB waste and acquisition deadline. While they're connected gait to beryllium buyers, things tin alteration drastically for nan Cardinals.

In an article from Jim Bowden successful The Athletic, he named waste and acquisition fits for each of nan contenders successful baseball. Fan favourite outfielder for nan Cardinals, Lars Nootbaar, was named arsenic a waste and acquisition fresh for nan Houston Astros. There were plentifulness of different Cardinals players mentioned arsenic waste and acquisition fits for different teams, but what astir nan Cardinals' targets?

When he talked astir nan Cardinals, however, he didn't database immoderate waste and acquisition targets for nan Cardinals to acquire, alternatively making nan constituent that nan Cardinals' young players request to play.

"So, if thing changes betwixt now and past and they enactment successful nan race," Bowden writes. "Don't expect large moves from their beforehand office. Instead, nan Cardinals want their young major-league players to proceed to develop, and could travel that way alternatively than look for reinforcements."

That scheme could pave nan measurement for nan Cardinals to move disconnected from immoderate of their seasoned players, giving measurement to younger prospects to get MLB opportunities to develop. Nootbaar could go 1 of those expendable players.

Nootbaar turns 28 years aged successful September and will beryllium nether squad power done nan 2027 season. While location is still clip for Nootbaar to enactment pinch nan team, his waste and acquisition worth mightiness not get immoderate higher than it is now.

While he's struggled arsenic of late, Nootbaar is still an above-average subordinate successful nan section and astatine nan plate. In his 253 at-bats successful 2025, Nootbaar has 60 hits, 12 doubles, 8 location runs, and 28 RBIs to spell pinch 39 runs scored. His accumulation astatine nan sheet has led him to beryllium astatine a .721 OPS, nan lowest successful his profession to this point.

But he's still a very absorbing left-handed bat for a squad to waste and acquisition for. As nan Cardinals are expected to utilize their younger players more, moving disconnected immoderate of their older players makes a ton of sense. With nan Astros successful request of a left-handed bat, Nootbaar to Houston makes a ton of sense.