The New York Mets had a very busy offseason, bringing in players such as Bo Bichette, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco and Freddy Peralta, while also saying goodbye to Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil.
The team is hoping for better results after it finished the 2025 season 83-79 and fell short of the postseason for the second time in three years. However, their roster looks much stronger heading into 2026 that it did at the end of 2025.
If they remain in the mix, they could potentially look to add some pieces at the trade deadline. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports listed several potential trade candidates. One of them was St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, and the Mets were named a potential fit.
“He has never fully launched and lived up to the terrific contact quality numbers (exit velocity, etc.), though Nootbaar is a very good and very valuable player, one who is under team control for two seasons,” Axisa wrote. “He can hit leadoff and play center field in a pinch, and you needn’t try hard to convince yourself there’s upside beyond the near .800 OPS he’s posted throughout his career. As with most players in this post, the question is not will Nootbaar get traded, but when.”
Nootbaar has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Last season, he landed on the injured list several times and slashed .234/.325/.361 with 13 home runs and a .686 OPS.
At the end of the season, the 28-year-old outfielder underwent surgery on both heels, which will force him to start the 2026 season on the injured list.
However, he could be a good fit for the Mets if they are in the mix and need to add some pieces at the trade deadline. Luis Robert Jr. is expected to be their everyday center fielder. But if he can’t stay healthy, the Mets would be wise to give the Cardinals a call about Nootbaar.
St. Louis isn’t expected to contend, and they will likely be sellers at the trade deadline. Nootbaar makes sense as a trade candidate due to the Cardinals’ supply of left-handed bats.
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