St. Louis Cardinals NEED Lars Nootbaar to PRODUCE— but Will He Be Around To Do It?

St. Louis Cardinals face early roster uncertainty as Lars Nootbaar’s injury rehab and potential trade rumors overshadow spring training. Can the fan-favorite outfielder finally deliver a breakout season, or will young prospect Joshua Baez and in-house options seize the spotlight in left field? With top performers Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras gone, the Cardinals’ youth movement is in full swing, raising questions about Nootbaar’s future and impact amid a reshaped lineup.

JD Hafron breaks down Nootbaar’s puzzling drop in offensive production despite strong Statcast numbers, and explores key changes brought by MLB’s new ball-strike challenge system. The episode also covers Riley O’Brien’s calf strain—a setback for the bullpen’s setup plans—and highlights Matthew Libertore’s spring game start as the Cardinals test rotation flexibility. Will these injuries, roster battles, and player shakeups propel the Cardinals into contention, or signal another rebuilding year for the Birds on the Bat?

00:00

Lars Nootbaar Injury Update

09:11

Trade Speculation: Nootbaar’s Future

19:34

Riley O’Brien Bullpen Injury

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5 comments

  4. I watched Noot last year and he started off great, like usual. Great eye, didn't swing at stuff out of the zone, got hits when he swung, just the solid stuff he is known for. Then May rolled around and he looked like he had lost his eye. Started swinging at stuff way out of the zone, awkward swings, Ks went up, he just looked awful all of the sudden, and June was the WORST. He started getting back to his game towards the end of June, but it was a while longer before he started looking somewhat decent again. It will be interesting to see when he actually does get back on the field how his eye and swing decisions look. With 2 years of control I definitely see him as a probable trade deadline move, if he proves he's got his eye and swing back.

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