The St. Louis Cardinals already have traded one key piece away from the 2025 roster. Who else could be on the way out of town?
At this point, two names stand above all others: Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan. A day hasn’t gone by that these two haven’t been discussed as trade candidates in some way this offseason. Katie Woo of The Athletic raised eyebrows on Tuesday while reporting that Willson Contreras is now “open to trade offers” as well.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
“Willson Contreras is open to trade offers and has become more willing to waive his full NTC over the last few weeks,” Woo wrote on X.
Will the Cardinals trade Lars Nootbaar?
Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) digs for second base in a game against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
These three aren’t the only guys who have been the subject of trade rumors. Left-handed bats, like Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar, as well as reliever JoJo Romero have been popular subjects for trade buzz.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan shared a column with insights on the top trade candidates around the league. They listed the top 25 trade candidates with details, plus an extra 15 guys for a total of 40. Five Cardinals popped up on the list, but Nootbaar was notably absent.
The five players mentioned were Donovan, Contreras, Arenado, Gorman, and Romero. Donovan was the highest-ranked trade candidate at No. 11 overall. Contreras was just behind at No. 16. Arenado, Gorman, and Romero all were on the list of 15 extra trade candidates without a blurb. Donovan was given a 75 percent chance of a trade, while Contreras was given a 15 percent chance.
Nootbaar is 28 years old and won’t be a free agent until 2028. He’s the exact type of player the Cardinals should look to deal, but he had offseason surgery on both of his heels, which complicates the matter.
Now, this is one list and doesn’t guarantee anything. But Passan and McDaniel are two very prominent insiders. They listed 40 players who could get moved this offseason. The fact that Nootbaar was included could be viewed as a sign that he could stick around in St. Louis, at least to begin the 2026 season.
More MLB: Sonny Gray Reveals What Led To Decision To Leave Cardinals