Cardinals Trade Lars Nootbaar to Diamondbacks

In a significant move for both teams, the St. Louis Cardinals have traded Japanese-American outfielder Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal, reported by ESPN's Jorge Castillo, brings two promising pitchers from the Diamondbacks' farm system to St. Louis: Daniel Eagan, ranked fifth in their prospect list, and Sandro Santana, ranked 26th.

Nootbaar, who turns 29 next month, has spent his entire six-year Major League Baseball career with the Cardinals. He has appeared in 575 games, hitting 61 home runs and driving in 210 runs, with a career batting line of .241/.340/.402 and an OPS+ of 108.

His profile surged globally after he joined Team Japan for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, playing a key role in their championship victory. Nootbaar, who has Japanese heritage, was initially considered for this year's WBC roster aiming to replicate their success, but a offseason surgery on both his heels prevented his participation.

Eagan, 23, was a third-round draft pick by the Diamondbacks two years ago and is being developed as a starting pitcher. In 20 games at Double-A this season, he pitched 87.1 innings, striking out 109 batters with a 5-8 record and a 4.95 ERA. Prospect reports give his fastball a 55, curveball a 60, slider a 55, splitter a 45, and control a 45 (on a 20-80 scale).

Santana, a Dominican prospect acquired by the Diamondbacks in 2023, started the season in High-A and has since been promoted to Double-A. He has appeared in 11 games as a reliever at the Double-A level, logging 15.2 innings with 21 strikeouts, a 2-0 record, two saves, and an impressive 0.57 ERA. His walk rate is also low, with a WHIP of 0.77. Scout reports rate his fastball at 55, slider at 70, changeup at 40, and control at 45.