Cardinals Could Cut Ties With 27-Year-Old Fan Favorite In Surprise Royals Trade

Just about any major league outfielder with a track record of success would be an upgrade for the Kansas City Royals.

Though the Royals seem to be satisfied with rookie Jac Caglianone's defensive progress as an outfielder, they still need more bodies. As the summer heats up, it will soon become clear which teams are willing to part ways with their outfield talent.

The St. Louis Cardinals are an interesting team to watch. They're currently five games over .500, but they've cooled off a bit in June. And they seemed to be planning a trade deadline sell-off at the start of the year, so it might not take much to send them down that path.

On Tuesday, insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic named Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar as a potential Royals trade target this summer, as the 27-year-old has two-and-a-half years of team control remaining.

"The Royals rank last in MLB in home runs and need to add power and length to their lineup," Bowden wrote. "Combined with the recent promotion of top prospect Jac Caglianone, trading for another power bat could completely change the complexion of their lineup.

"As good as the Royals’ starting pitching, bullpen, defense and offensive contact is, the right acquisition could be the final piece needed to get them back to the playoffs as a wild-card team."

Nootbaar doesn't exactly qualify as a power hitter, but he's always gotten on base well, which the Royals also struggle with as a team. This season, he has a .341 on-base percentage to go with a .721 OPS, which is solid if not spectacular.

Plus, Nootbaar can play any outfield position on defense and as an added bonus, he's a crowd favorite, especially with Japanese baseball fans. The Royals won't be Japan's number-one team any time soon, but it couldn't hurt to develop more of an overseas following.

It's just one name on a speculated list, but Nootbaar is worth keeping an eye on this summer.

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