The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to acquire outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals minutes before Monday's Major League Baseball trade deadline, ESPN reports. The Cardinals are receiving two pitching prospects, right-hander Daniel Eagen and left-hander Sandro Santana, the Athletic reports, as well as a player to be named later.
Nootbaar, 28, underwent offseason surgery to correct a congenital deformity on both heels and didn't make his 2026 debut until early June. Since being activated, he's put up a 96 OPS+, albeit with much better quality-of-contact metrics and with time spent at all three outfield positions. For his career, the lefty-swinging Nootbaar has an OPS of .764 against right-handed pitching with 212 walks in 1,601 plate appearances in such situations. He's not eligible for free agency until after the 2027 season, and he's owed the balance of a $5.35 million salary for this year.
Nootbaar in Arizona will join former Cardinals teammates Nolan Arenado, who was traded to the Diamondbacks this past offseason.
On the Cardinals' side of the trade, Eagen is the most notable addition. The 23-year-old former third-rounder out of Presbyterian College in South Carolina has made 20 starts for Amarillo in the hitter-friendly Texas League this season. He has a 4.95 ERA for them, but he's also struck out 109 batters in 87 ⅓ innings. Eagen has a four-pitch repertoire fronted by a mid-90s fastball with good carry at the top of the zone. Santana, 21, has a 3.46 ERA and a 2.30 K/BB ratio over 71 relief appearances and four starts spread over parts of four minor-league seasons. In 2026, he's taken a step forward at the Double-A level, with an 0.57 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 15 ⅔ innings since his promotion.
Now for some grades.
Arizona Diamondbacks: B+
Injury history makes Nootbaar a risk, but he's a boon regardless
Nootbaar isn't a star by any means, and his offensive numbers have been down across the last two seasons. He does have a long history of very strong batted-ball metrics, and perhaps on Arizona's watch, his outputs will rise to match those. Even if they don't, the Diamondbacks badly needed help against right-handed pitching as they strive to remain in wild-card position in the NL. This season, the Arizona offense has an OPS of .784 against lefties, but that figure falls to .677 against right-handers. Nootbaar should help that figure increase, and his OBP-first, patient approach at the plate can have some cascading positive effects that don't show up in his numbers. As noted, the D-backs are also getting Nootbaar for the 2027 season.
St. Louis Cardinals: B+
Chaim Bloom has a vision
It's not a massive return, but it wasn't expected to be given Nootbaar's substantial injury history and merely okay offensive numbers this season. As has been the case since Chaim Bloom assumed the big chair in St. Louis, they've continued to add arms and swing-and-miss to a system that needed it. Eagen has real potential to be a bat-misser at the highest level, and the Cardinals under Bloom have built out the player-development system to help pitchers like him reach their full potential. The trade of Nootbaar also clears the decks for the call-up of power prospect Joshua Báez at some point down the stretch.
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