Mariners Eye Cardinals Outfielder Lars Nootbaar

The Seattle Mariners, one of baseball’s top teams, are in the AL Championship Series after bolstering their lineup at the trade deadline with Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, both of whom will reach free agency after the season. With several impending departures, Seattle is expected to be active this offseason and has been linked to Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar as a corner-outfield target. The St. Louis Cardinals, led by new president Chaim Bloom, are initiating a rebuild and may trade controllable pieces like Nootbaar and potentially move on from Nolan Arenado to open playing time for prospects such as JJ Wetherholt. Suárez delivered a two-homer Game 5, including a grand slam that gave Seattle a 3–2 series lead, but his future and Seattle’s ability to chase higher-priced free agents will depend on payroll decisions and roster priorities. Former major-league catcher Jesús Montero died in October from injuries sustained in a motorcycle collision in Venezuela.