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Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) hits a one run single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Dodgers Interested in 2 Trade Candidates From Cardinals

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Dec 7, 2025 12:00 PM ET

It's been somewhat of a quiet offseason thus far for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As other teams have thrown their proverbial hats into the ring with multi-year deals, the Dodgers sit patiently like a jaguar waiting in the foliage, ready to strike its prey. In this case, a "strike" will come once the value of a possible transaction is to the team's liking.

Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo of The Athletic recently put together a comprehensive piece detailing what the duo has heard about the Dodgers' offseason plans ahead of the upcoming Winter Meetings.

Several names were spoken about, though the St. Louis Cardinals have been especially pegged as a possible trade partner.

"The St. Louis Cardinals loom as one of the most intriguing teams in the marketplace, as one of the few teams clearly inclined to move big league talent, and with plenty of outfielders available. It’s a list that includes Brendan Donovan, a left-handed hitting utility man who could play left field and whom the Dodgers had interest in at the deadline.

"That list could also include Lars Nootbaar, who has a career OPS+ of 109, has played all three outfield spots and hits left-handed. The 28-year-old will be coming off of double heel surgery that he underwent at the end of last season. His Opening Day timeline is in jeopardy, but even if Nootbaar is not ready at the start of the season, he should not miss more than a few weeks."

McDaniel and Passan of ESPN recently put together a list of the top 25 trade candidates, giving Brendan Donovan a 75% chance of being traded to 1 of 7 teams, including the Dodgers

Donovan has played 4 years with the Cardinals, serving as a utility man, and was selected to the… pic.twitter.com/MRsklbXDzH
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) December 4, 2025

If the Dodgers don't land one of Donovan and/or Nootbaar, other options could present themselves.

"The Cardinals are beginning a rebuild and want to move at least one of their left-handed hitters. Donovan and Nootbaar are on the table, though the asking price on Donovan in particular is high. The Boston Red Sox, of course, could move an outfielder as well, with left-handed hitters Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu among players who have drawn interest from clubs."

Donovan is very much in the mold of a Tommy Edman. Coincidentally, also coming from St. Louis, Donovan can play multiple positions both in the infield and in the outfield. He's also a strong bat-to-ball player similar to Edman — though Donovan is widely considered to be a better all-around hitter from an average standpoint. He's a career .282 hitter with an impressive .772 OPS and a career OPS+ of 117.

Nootbaar, a local guy from El Segundo, would also fit a real need as an energetic defensive upgrade in the outfield. Some of his advanced analytics also indicate someone who would positively impact the lineup. Interestingly enough, he's a member of Team Japan alongside Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani.