Lars Nootbaar, who has teased Cardinals fans, coaches and front office staff for years with high exit velocity contact and walk rates while also disappointing with his inability to avoid injuries, saw his tenure in St. Louis close on Monday just before the MLB Trade Deadline.

The Cardinals dealt the 28-year-old Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks where he will be reunited with close friend and former teammate Nolan Arenado. That transaction came just hours after the Cards also traded right-handed pitcher Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for Minor League outfield prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.

The Cardinals received Double-A pitchers Daniel Eagen and Sando Santana and a player to be named later in return for Nootbaar. Eagen, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander, was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Dbacks system by MLB Pipeline. After striking out 153 batters in 117 1/3 innings in High-A and Double-A in 2025, the 23-year-old Eagen has fanned 109 hitters in 87 1/3 innings of work in 2026 at Double-A Amarillo. He has a 29.2 percent K rate and a 9.1 percent walk rate so far this season. He also generated a 32 percent chase rate and a 32.5 percent whiff rate.

Santana, 21, was ranked No. 26 in the Arizona system by MLB Pipeline. The left-hander signed with the Dbacks in 2023 as an international free agent for $15,000 as a 17-year-old prospect. Following a strong 2025 season, the 5-foot-10, 150-pound lefthander has gone 5-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 31 relief appearances in 2026 at High-A and Double-A Amarillo. In 46 1/3 innings of work, he has compiled four saves with striking out 70 and walking only 20.    

In a smaller move, the Cardinals also acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for $250,000 in international bonus pool money. Ferguson, 30, is 1-0 with a save and a 4.01 ERA in 26 games (one start) this season with the Reds. The eight-year MLB veteran has appeared in 359 career MLB games, and he effectively replaces Romero in the Cardinals’ bullpen.

Nootbaar, who had been in the Cardinals organization since being selected in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, underwent surgery on both heels last October to remove small, bony growths near his Achilles tendons. After several months of rehabilitation, the corner outfielder returned to the Cardinals on June 5 and smacked a game-winning homer in his second game back.

However, he’s struggled to muster much power at all in the slumping Cardinals offense. He’s slashed just .234/.333/.354/.687 with only eight doubles, three homers and 16 RBI since returning.

Nootbaar’s advanced metrics seemed to suggest superstar potential despite his mediocre production. This season, for example, he produced a 51.3 percent hard-hit rate – one that would have been in MLB’s top 90 percentile if he had enough at bats to qualify. Also, his low chase rate (18 percent), low whiff rate (19.2 percent) and low strikeout rate (21.9 percent) spoke to his plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills.      

Nootbaar looked to be one of the breakout young stars from the 2022 Cardinals team that won the NL Central Division and reached the playoffs. That season, he posted a .788 OPS with 16 doubles, 14 homers and 40 RBI in 108 games and started in center field in a playoff game.

Thumb, back, groin and rib injuries limited Nootbaar to 117, 109 and 135 games over the next three years. He did hammer 24 doubles and 13 homers in 2025 while playing in a career-best 135 games.