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Rangers Reportedly Eye Trade for Cardinals Outfielder

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Zion Trammel | Last updated Nov 11, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Texas Rangers have an important winter ahead of them. President of baseball operations Chris Young has been active in every free agency period since arriving to Arlington. However, this offseason he's faced with a budget crunch, so expecting Texas to make a huge splash is unlikely.

The Rangers dealt with inconsistent outfield play last season. Longtime center fielder Leody Taveras was DFA'd early in the season, Evan Carter ran into injury trouble again, and Adolis Garcia had major slumps at the plate. Wyatt Langford was consistent in left field, but it's clear Texas could use some outfield help.

Rangers Have Shown Interest in Outfielder Lars Nootbaar

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (subscription required) reported that Texas showed interest in St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar. However, the interest came before it was announced publicly that the 28-year old would undergo surgery on both heels to address Haglund deformities.

The Cardinals are open to hearing what other clubs would be willing to offer for Nootbaar, but it's unclear if the Rangers are still interested in the outfielder.

Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors writes, "At present, it's not clear whether Nootbaar will be ready for Opening Day. His readiness (or lack thereof) is still up in the air and hinges on the speed of his recovery. It's also not clear to what extent (if any) the procedure has cooled the Rangers' interest."

One of Nootbaar's biggest strengths is his ability to get on base. He holds a career .341 on-base percentage. In 2025, he was fifth on the team in hits (119), home runs (13), and batting average (.234). He also led the team in walks with 64.

The Rangers showing interest in Nootbaar reveals an incoming change in the offensive identity next season. Manager Skip Schumaker has already indicated he hopes to turn the offense around, and acquiring someone like Nootbaar can change that.

Texas had the tenth-highest chase rate in the MLB and the eighth-worst walk rate. There were too many wasted opportunities at the plate, and their inability to move runners over cost them a chance at the postseason. Nootbaar is a guy who doesn't chase off the plate and has a high contact rate.

The Cardinals' outfielder will have a projected $5.7 million salary in arbitration, which is considerably lower than someone like Garcia. There have been rumblings that the Rangers could be moving on from the veteran outfielder to shed payroll.

Nootbaar would be a perfect fit in Arlington. He's a young outfielder who would give good at-bats at the top of the lineup. It'll be interesting to see if the interest is still there for the Rangers post surgery, but regardless Texas should be pursuing more players like Nootbaar.