MLB Rumors: Cardinals secret weapon, Blake Snell surprise, Reds move

MLB Rumors: Lars Nootbaar could help Cardinals recruit Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The St. Louis Cardinals made the biggest free agency splash to date, signing American League Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray to a three-year, $75 million contract. The righty is expected to immediately assume the No. 1 mantle in the Cards' rebuilt pitching staff.

Last season was a difficult one for the Cardinals, who finished 20 games below .500 and far removed from the postseason picture. High expectations gave way to a midseason fire sale, with Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty both getting shipped to new homes at the trade deadline. Now, St. Louis has to quickly pivot back to respectability.

Adding Gray is a tremendous start to the offseason, but he's the only high-level starter on the team right now. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson signed one-year contracts at 36 years old. Gray is 34. The Cardinals need another quality arm — preferably a young hurler with a long prime window ahead.

No player fits that description better than Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is expected to sign a long-term contract before his Jan. 4 posting deadline. He is 25 years old, fresh off multiple Triple Crowns in Japan's NPB. If the Cardinals are willing to spill the cash, Yamamoto would make for a prolific No. 2 next to Gray. He would also represent Gray's succession plan.

While St. Louis doesn't have the inherent big-market advantage of teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees, the Cards do have one ace up their sleeve: Lars Nootbaar, who played alongside Yamamoto for Japan's World Baseball Classic team.

In an illuminating newsletter from MLB.com scribe John Denton, Nootbaar offered to help Yamamoto with any free agency questions.

"I want to help Yoshi in any way that I can. I don’t know about the legality of it, and I don’t want to step on any toes, but if Yamamoto or any of the guys have questions, I want to be there to help."

Also, Nootbaar and Yamamoto are evidently more than teammates. They're close friends, with Nootbaar's mother talking to Yamamoto's mother "daily," according to the Cards' outfielder. That kind of close relationship could absolutely sway Yamamoto's decision. Especially with the Cardinals showing a willingness to spend in hopes of fielding a contender.