It seems like pretty much every player on the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster has been in some sort of trade rumor over the last few weeks.
Sonny Gray is just the first to go, not the last. Nolan Arenado obviously has had his name out there. But, what about the guys on the team without a no-trade clause? Brendan Donovan has made headlines but he isn’t the only one. The Athletic’s Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal, and Katie Woo called Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman “pivot points” for other teams right now as left-handed bats at lower prices.
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Who will the Cardinals trade?
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
“Other names to watch are Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman, who are seen as pivot points for teams looking to land left-handed help at a lesser price,” Sammon, Rosenthal, and Woo wrote. “Gorman, 25, struggled with a high strikeout rate (33.8 percent) for the second consecutive season, but teams could be willing to take a chance on him given his prodigious power. Nootbaar, 28, underwent double heel surgery at the end of the season. His status for Opening Day is in question, but he is not expected to miss much time in April. The Cardinals are inclined to part with at least one of the two in order to alleviate roster redundancies.”
Gorman has played for St. Louis over the last four seasons. His best campaign was in 2023. That season, he played in 119 games and hit 27 homers while driving in 76 runs. Plus, that was at just 23 years old. He looked like a long-term fixture for the team, but the last two seasons have been a struggle for him.
Nootbaar played in a career-high 135 games in 2025 but took a hit offensively. He was banged up a bit, as shown through his double heel surgery that he underwent shortly after the season ended.
Neither Gorman nor Nootbaar likely has high trade value right now. Gorman is younger, but both of these guys have their own question marks right now. Regardless, there’s a surplus of left-handed bats on the roster so moving at least one would be viewed as addition by subtraction for the guys on the roster who get bigger opportunities.
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