This Braves-Cardinals trade for Lars Nootbaar would be the boost Atlanta's offense needs

The Atlanta Braves rank 24th in the Majors in runs scored since June 1. That's a 32-game sample size. They were one of the best offensive teams in the league prior to that point, and they have the talent to get back to that level once Ronald Acuña Jr. comes back healthy and Drake Baldwin finds his footing, but it's clear that their lineup could use another bat.

The Braves lost Jurickson Profar to a season-long PED suspension, and while Mauricio Dubon has played well in his place, Atlanta's need to deploy Dubon in the outfield has them putting subpar players at shortstop. Whether it's Ha-Seong Kim, Jorge Mateo or Jim Jarvis at the 6, it isn't good enough. The Braves' best course of action is to trade for an outfielder and move Dubon back to the infield dirt, and there might not be a better fit in terms of outfielders than Lars Nootbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals.

This Braves-Cardinals trade for Lars Nootbaar would give Atlanta the lineup depth it needs

This deal would be a simple one-for-one between two NL playoff hopefuls who are actually set to begin a three-game series in St. Louis on Friday. The Braves would be acquiring Lars Nootbaar in exchange for Hurston Waldrep.

Both fan bases are bound to dislike this swap, but this need-for-need deal makes sense for both teams. Here's why.

Would the Braves do this trade?

The Braves need to lengthen their lineup, as Profar's suspension forced them to play at least one subpar bat every day — even when they're healthy. Nootbaar isn't a star, but he's more than viable as a starting outfielder.

He missed a little over two months rehabbing from offseason heel surgery, but he's been the steady force he's always been since returning, slashing .263/.345/.404 with two home runs and nine RBI in 29 games. He gets on base, doesn't cost you anything in the field, and if you look under the hood, there's room for him to put up even better power numbers. This guy as a No. 6 or No. 7 hitter in a good lineup would make the Braves much more formidable.

Now, parting with Waldrep is something the Braves certainly won't want to do. Not only was he a recent first-round pick who has shown some serious upside in his brief MLB career, but the Braves, with Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver and Martin Perez all on the IL, could certainly use as much starting pitching depth as they can get. Still, they sent Waldrep down to Triple-A on Friday, suggesting they don't need him right now.

If they can trade him for a player who can help them greatly right now and has an additional year of club control, I don't see why they wouldn't, especially with Smith-Shawver already in the middle of a rehab assignment.

Verdict: Yes

Would the Cardinals do this trade?

Nootbaar has been a fan favorite in St. Louis for much of his six-year MLB career, so trading him won't be easy, but this deal would make sense for them. Not only do the Cardinals need pitching, but they also don't need Nootbaar.

Jordan Walker has established himself as the Cardinals' right fielder of the future, and the team also has Joshua Baez, one of MLB's top prospects, in Triple-A. Baez has put up video game-like numbers so far this season, and while his inability to make consistent contact is a concern, he has the tools to be a really good outfielder in this league. The Cardinals need to give him a shot at some point, right?

Trading Nootbaar opens the door for Baez to come up as soon as the deal is done, and in this trade, the Cardinals would be acquire a pitcher with all kinds of upside in Waldrep. Sure, he didn't look great in his three appearances this season before being sent down, but he had a 2.88 ERA and a 3.21 FIP in 10 starts for Atlanta down the stretch in 2025. There's real reliever risk with the righty, who needs to develop additional offerings to his fastball and devastating splitter, but the potential is there for this 24-year-old to be a high-end mid-rotation arm for years to come. He'd come to St. Louis with a couple of years before even hitting arbitration, so he'd be a player worth building around.

This would likely make the Cardinals worse in 2026, which isn't ideal, but they've already fallen out of a Wild Card spot — while their season isn't over yet, it could make sense for them to sell anyway. Nootbaar isn't part of their long-term plans, but Waldrep very well could help them now at a position of need and, more importantly, in the far future as well.

Verdict: Yes

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