Cubs eye Cardinals outfielder who might be next to go in looming teardown

Pop Quiz: When was the last time the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals completed a trade?

If your answer was "July 4, 2007", then you cheated and are disqualified. Or you hold an unecessary amount of mental space for John Nelson in your brain. Either way, that midsummer deal 19 years ago was the last time the NL Central rivals got together on a deal.

Considering the most famous trade between the longtime rivals involved Lou Brock heading to the Redbirds, you can't blame the Cubs for their hesitancy in going back to that well. However, with Chaim Bloom now manning the Cardinals' operations as they plunge head-first into a rebuild, that could change sooner rather than later.

Lars Nootbaar connected to Cubs as Cardinals' rebuild continues

With Owen Caissie traded and Kyle Tucker now in Los Angeles, it's no secret that the Cubs desperately need a reliable fourth outfielder — and, preferably, one who is team-controlled beyond 2026, seeing as both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are set to become free agents in a year's time.

Top prospect Kevin Alcantara is the favorite for that role, though non-roster invitees Justin Dean and Chas McCormick will also get a crack at the job in spring training. Don't be surprised if former Cardinal Dylan Carlson re-emerges in spring camp with the Cubs, either.

However, none of those players (save for Alcantara) are expected to be long-term fits next to Pete Crow-Armstrong in the outfield. What the Cubs need is a short-term bench piece and long-term starter, which may actually be fitting of current Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar.

The Redbirds have been tearing their roster down all offseason, trading veterans Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and former Cub Willson Contreras as part of their ongoing rebuild. Nootbaar has also been mentioned on the trade block, and Matt Trueblood of North Side Baseball suggested that he could become a target of the North Siders if their other fourth outfielder options fall short.

Nootbaar, 28, has two years of team control remaining via arbitration. He may not be a "long-term addition" in that sense, but he is a left-handed hitter with some thump (118 wRC+ between 2022-24). He's also a sterling defender, having racked up 15 Defensive Runs Saved over nearly 4,000 career innings in the outfield.

As a viable backup in center field for PCA with the chops to start in either left or right field once Happ and/or Suzuki leaves, Nootbaar would make a lot of sense for this Cubs roster. To get him, though, the front office will need to put a lot of history and animosity behind them.