Dodgers Rumors: Lars Nootbaar Gaining Trade Interest
Add Lars Nootbaar to the list of potential outfielders the Dodgers are interested in
LOS ANGELES, CA—Despite the New Year being just over a week away, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions, have had a quiet offseason. Their only signings so far are All-Star closer Edwin Díaz and the re-signing of Miguel Rojas.
Despite this, the Dodgers are strongly associated with several players, especially outfielders, with Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker being the most frequently mentioned in free agent rumors.
However, Los Angeles has also been looking at the trade market to solve their opening in the outfield, and per MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Lars Nootbaar is atop their wish list.
As reported previously by The Athletic, the Seattle Mariners are a favorite for Donovan and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams interested in Nootbaar.
Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman emphasized the team’s need for more positional player depth during the Díaz introductory press conference.
One anticipated move is the re-signing of Kiké Hernández. However, because Hernández had left elbow surgery and will miss Opening Day, it’s likely that the signing will be delayed until the 60-day injured list can be used at the beginning of Spring Training.
If the Dodgers acquired Nootbaar, he would likely help address a current gap in their left field. This move would be akin to their signing of Michael Conforto for the 2025 season.
Nootbaar has just completed a season in which he posted a line of .234/.325/.361 across a career-high 135 games, tallying 24 doubles, 13 home runs, and 48 RBIs. One of his key strengths is his ability to draw walks at a high rate.
Some caution might be exercised with Nootbaar, as the left-handed hitter had surgery on both heels this October and may miss the start of the 2026 season, but he remains under contract for 2027 through arbitration.
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