Dodgers Rumors: New Cardinals trade candidate could be of Shohei Ohtani influence

The Dodgers' search for an outfielder continues, and latest reports suggest they'll turn to the trade rather than the free agent market to find one. Of course, they'll still be named as a team to watch for Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, but they may not be willing to give either of them the years they're looking for.

A few familiar names have already surfaced — Steven Kwan and Brendan Donovan — but little has surfaced on the Kwan chase, and the Mariners and Giants have been at the forefront of Donovan rumors lately.

However, per Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are also eyeing a different Cardinal (and it's not Nolan Arenado).

Lars Nootbaar has just as many years of team control left as Kwan and Donovan (two) and consistently puts up solid defensive seasons in right field (though he's worse in left). He's been an above-replacement-level player for all of his five seasons in St. Louis, but his career-worst numbers in multiple offensive categories could make him a lot cheaper in a trade than the other two.

Dodgers reportedly shifting interest from Cardinals' Brendan Donovan to Lars Nootbaar

And, of course, Nootbaar has ties to four Dodgers already. He was clearly Team Japan's vibes guy during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when he played with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki, and he got Japanese fans to fall in love with him throughout the tournament. Though he was dwarfed in terms of power by the usual suspects — Ohtani, Munetaka Murakami, and transferring free agent Kazuma Okamoto — he had a ridiculous .424 OBP during the WBC. And, of course, he's a former Cardinals teammate of Tommy Edman.

Do we think Ohtani has put in a good word here for the Dodgers to make the move? Was he backed up by Yamamoto and Sasaki? The big bad Dodgers taking over the trade market now?!

Nootbaar is a career .242/.747 OPS hitter who walks a good deal but has never really hit for power and didn't really even hit for average in 2025. His overall numbers are fine enough, but not necessarily anything to write home about.

But he'd be cheap, both in terms of a trade and with regard to an arbitration raise, and easier to tempt away from St. Louis than Donovan. And he wouldn't necessarily come over with the expectation of being an everyday player, which would give the Dodgers some opportunities to give Dalton Rushing and Ryan time in the outfield.

Nootbaar may not be as exciting a name as Tucker or Bellinger, but even the Dodgers can go back to brass tacks.