Cardinals Should Only Trade Lars Nootbaar on One Condition

"Lars is under control next year, so I actually see him as less likely to get traded than the people that are not under team control for next year," Lynn said.

"If you are going for a World Series push, then you would go for it and you get what you want."

Nootbaar is a fan favorite in St. Louis and has been since he made his major league debut in 2021. However, Lynn clearly believes that the Cardinals should only move him if they are going for a World Series title.

In all likelihood, the Cardinals are not going to be pushing for a World Series title. They will likely stick to their plan and remain on track with their rebuild. In that case, Nootbaar should be held onto because he still has one more year of club control after 2026.

Nootbaar being traded would clear a spot for Joshua Baez, but he is still valuable to this team, and if he is moved, the Cardinals would lose one of their few veteran leaders that are guiding the young core.

As long as they stick to their plan, Nootbaar is going to be a key part of that and is too valuable to give up. The Cardinals are still rebuilding, so it's important that they stick to what they have planned.

This current club, despite where it currently stands, is not capable of winning the World Series, so it's going to be important that they hold onto Nootbaar rather than trade him.

It will be interesting to see what Chaim Bloom is thinking as the deadline approaches, but the Cardinals simply do not need to trade Nootbaar. They are not in a position to win a World Series title, and that will likely take a few more years.