Cardinals trade target nobody is asking for suddenly appears on Mariners radar

Why are we back here talking about Lars Nootbaar like it’s 2022?

Because it’s not just random rumor sludge anymore — it got oxygen from a real mouth. On Foul Territory, Ken Rosenthal floated the idea that St. Louis could move Nootbaar in a package with Brendan Donovan, with Nootbaar helping in right field.

And look, Rosenthal’s plugged in. But “I could see it” isn’t analysis. It’s the baseball equivalent of shrugging into a suit and calling it a forecast. If this is the pathway to Seattle making a real 2026 statement, then we’re already starting from a place of lowered expectations.

Mariners’ Donovan dream comes with a deflating Nootbaar complication

The only reason “Nootbaar to Seattle” ever felt like a real conversation starter is because the Mariners’ outfield situation back then was basically a weekly trust fall exercise. Julio Rodríguez was Julio, and everyone else was some combo of maybe and please don’t make me watch this again.

That was the Mitch Haniger/Jarred Kelenic/Jesse Winker/Kyle Lewis/Taylor Trammell era of “we just need one more competent bat.” So sure, the idea of a pesky left-handed on-base guy with some defensive versatility felt like progress.

Fast forward to 2026: if the Mariners are still sniffing around Nootbaar, that’s not progress. That’s a relapse.

And it’s not even just a “fans are picky” thing. It’s the exact opposite. Mariners fans have been begging for the front office to stop shopping in the “nice player” aisle and actually go get an impact bat. Nootbaar is the kind of name you float when you’re trying to talk yourself into a move you know won’t move the needle.

In 2025, Nootbaar hit .234/.325/.361 with a 96 wRC+ and 0.8 WAR on FanGraphs. That’s not a lineup-changing piece. That’s more like a “cool, he exists.” The Mariners don’t need another “fine” bat to toss into the blender.

Even his better 2024 wasn’t a star turn — he was solid, sure (12 homers, .244 average), but that’s still not the type of production that makes Seattle exhale and say, finally.

Here’s the part everyone in Seattle is going to say out loud the second this rumor hits the timeline: don’t the Mariners already have this guy?

Luke Raley is basically the Mariners’ in-house version of a Nootbaar. Lefty bat, can play multiple spots, has pop, can be annoying when he’s on. And in 2024, Raley gave Seattle a 129 wRC+ and 3.2 WAR. That’s better output than what you’re buying with the Nootbaar idea.

So if the “plan” is to acquire another Nootbaar-type… for what? To create a redundancy? If the Mariners want to talk Cardinals, fine. Let’s have the grown-up conversation. Back to Brendan Donovan we go. 

Donovan feels like a legitimate “help a contender” piece. Nootbaar feels like the Mariners found another way to avoid paying the price for the guy they actually need. That’s why this rumor lands with a thud in Seattle. Because it’s the same movie. Nobody in Seattle is going to be excited if word gets out that Lars Nootbaar is the acquisition for 2026.

Fans aren’t going to throw a parade for a 96 wRC+ bat. And to be clear: this isn’t a shot at Nootbaar as a player. He’s useful. On the right team, in the right role, he can help. But Seattle doesn’t need “help.” Seattle needs a difference-maker. The roster already has enough “pretty good.” It already has “versatile.” It already has enough “if healthy.”

We’ll still welcome a conversation about Brendan Donovan. But Nootbaar? We don’t need to do this again. Actually… let’s end the conversation now.