The St. Louis Cardinals have dealt Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Per Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, the headlining prospect in the return is right-hander Daniel Eagen.
At the time of the trade, Eagen ranks as Arizona’s second-highest pitching prospect behind David Hagaman on MLB Pipeline. The 24-year-old sits as the organization’s No. 5 prospect.
The Cardinals, thanks to a bit of a July swoon, elected to sell at the deadline. Dustin May, Jojo Romero, and Nootbaar were set out for a package of prospects. May and Romero were rentals while Nootbaar is controllable through next season.
The Cardinals got two intriguing lower-level bats in the May and Romero trade in Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale. Nootbaar landed a prospect closer to the major leagues, plus a lottery ticket in Sandro Santana and a player to be named later.
Cardinals Land Daniel Eagen in Lars Nootbaar Trade
GettySCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 18: Pitcher Daniel Eagen #80 of the Arizona Diamondbacks poses for a portrait during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 18, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Eagen was the Diamondbacks’ third-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Presbyterian College. He quickly ascended to the organization’s Double-A affiliate in his first year, but has stalled.
Part of that is due to the tough environment in Amarillo. The combination of wind, elevation, and hot summers in Hodgetown makes it one of the toughest places to pitch in.
In 20 starts this season, Eagen has a 4.95 ERA and a 29.2% strikeout rate. When you consider the park environment, his adjusted ERA- is 16% better than the league-average pitcher.
Eagen is an interesting pitcher to throw into the mix. The right-hander carries a very north-south style arsenal with a high-carry four-seamer, a depthy curveball, a bullet slider, and a splitter out of a high release point.
Since Amarillo and Springfield are in the same league, the Cardinals got plenty of looks at their newest pitching prospect. The two teams clashed just after the All-Star break, likely kickstarting discussions between St. Louis and Arizona over a potential Lars Nootbaar trade.
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