The New York Mets have a gap in their outfield since trading away Brandon Nimmo that they need to fill this offseason.
The Mets have been active this offseason, retooling their roster after the departures of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. New York has made some impactful new additions this offseason, bringing in a lot of star talent, but it is still in need of an outfielder to fill the void left by Nimmo.
One player the Mets could target is St. Louis Cardinals veteran outfielder Lars Nootbaar. The Cardinals are in the middle of a rebuild, and Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter pitched a mock trade that would have the Mets send infield prospect Ronny Mauricio away for the 28-year-old high-energy outfielder.
“The Mets are still in the mix to sign Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger this offseason, but hedging their bets with this trade would be a step toward finalizing a roster that still needs multiple outfielders,” Reuter wrote Tuesday. “Nootbaar has yet to have a true breakout season, but he does have a 109 OPS+ over five years in the majors and has averaged 2.8 WAR per 162 games played. He is also controllable through 2027.
“Trading two years of Nootbaar for four years of Mauricio makes sense for a Cardinals team kicking off a multi-year rebuild, even if it is a roll of the dice. Still only 24 years old, Mauricio has never had the chance to show what he can do over an extended run in the majors, but he has a top prospect pedigree.”
Mauricio has displayed flashes of potential in his limited playing time with the Mets, but Nootbaar is a versatile outfielder with a lot of upside. The 28-year-old is under contract through the 2027 season, and if New York wants to make a return to the postseason next year, filling the void left by Nimmo with a capable outfielder like Nootbaar is a good idea.
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