The Astros have made a habit of finding outfield help late in the summer, and this year is shaping up no different. MLB Trade Rumors put Houston squarely on Lars Nootbaar's radar, with Chandler Rome of The Athletic reporting the interest as the trade deadline creeps closer.
Nootbaar isn't just a rental, either. He's controllable through 2027 on an arbitration deal, which makes him a more interesting target than the usual half-season fix teams chase in July. That matters for an Astros front office that's been trying to upgrade its outfield for over a year now without a ton of luck.
The Cardinals outfielder is still working his way back from offseason surgery for Haglund's deformities, and the numbers tell a mixed story: a.241/.347/.366 line since returning in June, propped up more by his walk rate than his power. He's cooled off hard lately too, hitting just.195 with zero homers over his last 13 games since the All-Star break.
St. Louis, meanwhile, is in full retool mode and reportedly has a steep asking price on Nootbaar right now — one that could soften as the deadline gets closer and other suitors emerge. There's also a real chance the Cardinals just move on from him to open a spot for prospect Joshua Baez, which only adds urgency to any potential deal.
Houston isn't operating with a blank checkbook here. The Astros are sitting only about $8 million under the luxury tax threshold and don't exactly have a loaded farm system to sweeten offers. Nootbaar is reportedly one name among several Houston is monitoring, alongside Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak and Trevor Larnach, which tells you this front office is casting a wide net rather than fixating on one guy.
Nothing here is close to a done deal, but it's another data point in what's becoming a busy outfield market heading into the deadline. Worth watching whether St. Louis budges on price, and whether Houston is willing to actually give up something real for a bat that's been more OBP than power this year.