Former St Louis Cardinals Players Struggle Following 2026 Trade Deadline

Former St. Louis Cardinals players Lars Nootbaar, Dustin May, and JoJo Romero have experienced difficult starts with their new Major League Baseball teams following the 2026 trade deadline, according to reports from Redbird Rants and Sports Illustrated.

President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom executed a series of deadline trades, parting ways with the veteran players to acquire several prospects as St. Louis positioned itself as a deadline seller.

Outfielder Lars Nootbaar was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks after spending his first six seasons with St. Louis. Through his first 14 to 15 games with Arizona, Nootbaar has posted a .186 batting average with eight hits in 43 at-bats, one home run, five RBIs, and a -0.3 WAR. Underlying metrics reveal a 56.7% ground ball rate and a 6.7% line drive rate.

Right-handed pitcher Dustin May joined the division rival Milwaukee Brewers alongside JoJo Romero. May posted a 6.00 ERA over 15 innings in his initial three starts for Milwaukee. While he logged a seven-inning, one-run outing against the San Diego Padres on August 12, his August 19 start resulted in seven earned runs allowed over two innings.

Reliever JoJo Romero has yet to make an appearance for the Brewers after undergoing an emergency appendectomy while still with St. Louis. Romero is scheduled to throw his first rehabilitation start on Tuesday to prepare for a potential bullpen role.

The departures created regular playing time for younger Cardinals players, opening rotation spots for Quinn Mathews and Hunter Dobbins, while providing outfielder Joshua Baez with consistent major-league opportunities.