Cardinals rumors: Japan recruitment, free agent reunions targeted, possible trade chips

Cardinals are headed to Japan to do direct recruitment

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to come over from Japan to America to play in MLB this upcoming season, sure to be one of the most coveted international free agents available. Yamamoto threw a no-hitter with Brian Cashman and other MLB scouts and executives present just months ago, boosting his notoriety on the free agency circuit.

Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been viewed as a cultural secret weapon of sorts for the Cardinals, though to this point he's been viewed primarily a connection to Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani and Nootbaar developed a very public bromance during the World Baseball Classic prior to the 2023 season, where they both played on Team Japan.

Nootbaar, along with Nolan Arenado, have made the trip over to Japan to see Yamamoto pitch in the playoffs.

Though the Japan connection is the most obvious throughline to point to, the advantages are far deeper than just heritage for the Cardinals. As Redbird Rants site expert Josh Jacobs has pointed out, Arenado and Yamamoto share the same agent.

Whether or not this trip to Japan actually sways the decision at all for Yamamoto, who knows. He'll have plenty of suitors and an ostensibly massive amount of money thrown at him this offseason, which could render the Cardinals uncompetitive. That said, moving to a new place, and especially a new country, is unnerving even for professional athletes. Having a teammate with some cultural likeness can help ease the process.

Who knows, maybe such an add could also earn the Cardinals a better shot at Shohei Ohtani, too. Maybe Ohtani can stomach passing on the opportunity to play with just Nootbaar, but would he really turn down the opportunity to play with Nootbaar and Yamamoto?