MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies Land Starting Outfielder in Trade To Replace Suspended OF

The Philadelphia Phillies have a bit of a void in their lineup after learning of the 80-game suspension handed down to outfielder Johan Rojas. Granted, Rojas was a platoon bat at best, but why not go for a starting-level outfielder to replace him?

Zach Pressnell of si.com has proposed that the Phillies look to the St. Louis Cardinals, who are in the mode of selling off all of their prime pieces as they undergo a rebuild. Gone are Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Sonny Gray. It's expected that Lars Nootbaar could be next.

Let's take a look at a mock trade presented by Pressnell that would get Nootbaar to Philly.

Philadelphia Phillies receive:

Lars Nootbaar, OF

St. Louis Cardinals receive:

Griffin Burkholder, OF (Phillies' No. 13 prospect)
Cody Bowker, RHP (Phils' No. 16)

For the Phillies, they would get a starting-level outfielder in Nootbaar, whose numbers won't blow anyone away, but he's always been more-or-less an above average hitter (career 109 OPS+). He possesses a good eye at the plate, and draws a lot of walks with a consistently solid on-base percentage. He can also provide strong defensive play in the corners.

The one caveat here is that he's recovering from double-heel surgery from this past October, and has yet to play in a Spring Training game. He is getting closer though, and is expected to be ready to return early in the 2026 season.

Both prospects the Cards would receive here are in the lower minors, and could be a couple of years away from a major league arrival. But they'd be capitalizing on Nootbaar now, just in case he can't come back as expected, which would leave them with nothing in return.