D-backs bolster outfield with trade for Nootbaar

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PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks got the left-handed bat they wanted, but were otherwise frustrated that it was the only deal they could pull off before Monday's Trade Deadline.

Arizona acquired outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals in exchange for Minor League pitchers Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana, as well as a player to be named.

Nootbaar is under control through the 2027 season, and his addition will strengthen a Diamondbacks outfield that has been beset by injuries. Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are both on the injured list, with Lawlar expected back soon.

TRADE DETAILS
D-backs receive: OF Lars Nootbaar
Cardinals receive: RHP Daniel Eagen (was AZ's No. 5 prospect; now STL No. 17), LHP Sandro Santana (was ARI No. 26; now STL No. 22) and a player to be named later

Adding a left-handed bat had been a priority for the Diamondbacks, though it was thought they would look to do that at first base. Nootbaar is the second left-handed-hitting outfielder Arizona has added over the past two months.

Max Kepler was signed by the Diamondbacks as a free agent on June 7 and joined the team a few weeks later, after his PED suspension ended. As a result of that suspension, Kepler is not eligible to participate in the postseason should the Diamondbacks make it.

"[Nootbaar] is a good fit," Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said prior to the D-backs' 5-1 win over the Padres on Monday night. "We've had some issues as we've gone through the season against right-handed pitching, so we felt like [a left-handed bat] was one of the bigger needs that we wanted to address coming out of the deadline."

Adding pitching, particularly a starter to help a rotation that has been decimated by injuries, was also a priority for the Diamondbacks. But as Monday wore on, more and more of the deals they thought they were close to completing fell apart.

"Very close [on] multiple [pitchers]," Hazen said. "We had some things just not go our way, and it didn't happen for us. We took some runs at a lot of the pitchers. We made a lot of players available. Just didn't happen for us."

Arizona will have to rely on a return to health from Zac Gallen, Corbin Burnes, Michael Soroka, Justin Martinez and Ryne Nelson to bolster the staff.

Since just before the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks have been playing their best baseball of the year, moving into a tie with the Phillies for the second NL Wild Card spot entering Monday's games.

Hazen appeared frustrated that he was not able to do more to help bolster the roster, particularly when other Wild Card contenders like the Padres, Phillies and Pirates made significant additions.

Was it a matter of not matching up with teams, or were they outbid?

"I don't know," Hazen said. "We offered a lot, so all the way to the top of our farm system, etc. I had to draw the line on the Major League team on some level on some of those asks. Taking guys off the Major League team comes with a bigger risk -- taking guys out of the bullpen, taking younger players off the team that we need. But from a prospect standpoint, you know, I felt like we were very aggressive. I wish we were able to do more, with the way the team has played."

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo took the podium after Hazen, and had a different take on the way everything played out.

"I actually like it," Lovullo said. "I believe in the 26 guys, and I know that we're going to get a new addition in here, so it's 26 plus one. Our guys are a good baseball team, and I'm super excited about knowing what direction these guys will go in, and I don't have to pull two or three different guys from other organizations and put them on our page."

After missing the first couple of months of the season following his recovery from double heel surgery back in October, Nootbaar returned to the Cardinals’ lineup in early June. Despite the unusual nature of his ailments -- Haglund’s deformities on both heels had caused discomfort in recent years, culminating in career-low numbers in 2025 -- the procedure seems to have done the trick for Nootbaar, who has more or less returned to his previous levels of productivity.

The 2025 season marked Nootbaar’s first year with a sub-100 OPS+, but he has returned to form in 2026, posting an on-base percentage of .333 with an OPS of .687. Nootbaar’s contact-oriented approach and strong plate discipline make him a quality on-base threat. Defensively, he has experience in all three outfield spots.

The vast majority of Nootbaar's big league seasons have seen him produce offensively at a rate above league average. Nootbaar is eligible for arbitration for the third and final time after this season, making him eligible for free agency after 2027.