The St. Louis Cardinals and the fans at Busch Stadium welcomed Lars Nootbaar back into action this weekend as he made his season debut. I, personally, was more ready for his return than I expected this offseason, as I simply hoped for a healthy return and a quick trade out of St. Louis. As this season has progressed in a competitive manner, Noot now means more to the struggling lineup with a chance at a playoff spot than he did for a bottom barrel rebuilding team.
Even the most optimistic of fans, myself included, thought that 10 games over .500 in June was a pipe dream, but with how well the team played to this point, the recent swoon has created a feeling of disappointment among Cardinal Nation. The bottom half of the lineup has underperformed even low expectations and their combined struggles are more of a story for a team still sitting in postseason contention. Had the Cardinals been at the NL Central cellar without an MVP candidate in right field and a Rookie of the Year contender at second, having five batters in a rebuilding lineup hitting less than league-average would be unremarkable. However, with focus shifting from 2028 to this year, fans were looking for a boost to the lineup. Enter Nootbaar.
A healthy Lars Nootbaar is best for everyone, short-term or for the future
The impact was immediate. Nootbaar singled in his first major league at-bat since September 27 and most importantly looked healthy running the bases. He hit in his comfortable lead off spot with JJ Wetherholt nursing some soreness and was a major part of the big sixth inning on Friday. The elder statesman of the offense is back at the best time, and his play could impact more than just his future.
As stated, I hoped for a month of hot-hitting Noot and a tough to swallow trade for some to happen near the deadline. I personally feel it is tougher to value hitters on the trade market, but with Noot looking like a change of scenery candidate a la Nolan Arenado, a trade partner may have been easier to find for Bloom. Now, though, with the Cardinals continuing to convince me every week that this is for real, a hot-hitting, healthy Nootbaar may be more valuable to the team if he sticks around for another season.
Nootbaar received a day off in the afternoon game after the evening contest, as scheduled, but JJ Wetherholt remained out of the lineup. This pushed Masyn Winn to the leadoff spot, so as of this writing on Saturday, we do not yet know how all three of these players will be used in the same lineup. Regardless if Noot slides in the top of the order or in the fifth spot, he will be expected to be a run producer and extend the lineup a bit. For a hitter with a career 110 OPS+ and double-digit homer potential, his return could do a lot for this season in multiple ways. Oh. And he hit a go-ahead homer in the 8th inning after entering off the bench. How freaking fun is that?
If Jordan Walker continues his at minimum All-Star season and Wetherholt stays healthy and consistent for a Rookie of the Year finalist, Nootbaar’s presence could push the lineup into a legitimate postseason contender. The whole roster would likely still be built for a first-round exit, but a healthy Noot is a massive step up for the entire outfield’s production. When Nathan Church returns, there is already going to be a squeeze for playing time with Victor Scott II, Nelson Velazquez, and Jose Fermin, but Nootbaar complicates things further.
He is the oldest position player on the team but unlike most teams, his age still starts with a 2, with Noot checking in at the ripe old age of 28. Like Brendan Donovan two deadlines ago, Noot has an additional season of club control beyond this year, meaning Chaim Bloom does not need to rush to make a deal. However, like with Donovan, Arenado, Goldschmidt, Contreras, Gray, Fedde, and Mikolas, there are others in the organization who may benefit from a clear path to playing time at the big league level.
A Nootbaar hot streak and the Cardinals building on a Wild Card lead theoretically puts Bloom in a spot. However, any time he has spoken, be it to us at Blogger Day or in any of his many media appearances, the message has always been future first. He also did not comment on extensions, which would be another interesting turn in the Nootbaar saga since 28 really is not even baseball old. The major question now will be his heels and his overall health. Eight weeks is plenty of time for really anything to happen.
What I am leaning towards mirrors my thoughts to the entire Donovan trade situation. I was in the camp that we knew what Donovan was/is, which is a great player but not a building block for rebuild and it was unfortunately time to cash in on his value. If Nootbaar can come relatively close to mimicking Donnie’s value to a lineup, it makes sense to me to cash in. Where I flip flop, though, is if the rest of the outfield has some remaining questions.
Rather than become a trade piece, Nootbaar could enter into the same stage as Alec Burleson if center field goes unclaimed by a current player. Burleson is locked into first base for the foreseeable future due to the lack of overall depth at the position in the organization, but also because his 27-year-old self has been a consistent performer in the lineup. Until someone pushes Burly out of St. Louis, it makes little sense to deal him for a complete question mark which could happen in Nootbaar’s case. Along with Burly, the two lefties could be the founding fathers of the next era of Cardinal baseball as they help the new guys come along.
Right now, Joshua Baez is the talk of the town for good reason. The dude hits the ball hard and far. Add on his speed and defense, Baez is as close to knocking down the door as possible. He has moved around the grass, spending recent games in center field which could actually spell problems for VSII or Nathan Church rather than for Noot. Left field has also been seen as a potential landing spot for Ivan Herrera, but any progress here could render those talks unnecessary. Of course, Baez could also fizzle, leaving a black hole in left if Noot were dealt to clear the (ahem) runway.
What this comes down to is another minor question of sell or hold at the deadline. I think Lars Nootbaar becomes the center piece of those discussions, maybe in a more intense way than we heard surrounding JoJo Romero next year. Fans may continue to be 50/50 on his future, even after a decision is made one way or the other and I could be convinced by the day. This is where I want to hear from you all.
How should Noot’s future be handled in St. Louis? If they’re true contenders, should he stick around or is he a sell regardless?
Thanks as always!
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