Lars Nootbaar's heel surgery throws the St. Louis Cardinals' Opening Day plans into uncertainty. Will the Cardinals outfielder be ready for March 26th, or could his recovery stretch into April?

JD Hafron breaks down Nootbaar's shocking diagnosis of Haglund's deformities, the 4-6 month recovery timeline, and how this impacts his trade value heading into the offseason. The discussion covers internal outfield solutions including Alec Burleson, Victor Scott, and Jordan Walker, plus listener reactions to potential free agent targets like Zac Gallen at 5 years, $135 million. Key topics include why the Cardinals must bank on Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman becoming 25-30 home run threats, the team's offensive needs beyond pitching, and Albert Pujols' second interview for the San Diego Padres managerial position.

Tune in for a complete breakdown of how Nootbaar's surgery reshapes the Cardinals' offseason strategy and roster construction.

0:00 Intro

1:34 Lars Nootbaar's Heel Surgery Update

4:38 Recovery Timeline and Opening Day Concerns

8:45 Cardinals Outfield Options Without Noot

14:21 Jordan Walker Gets Right Field Again

16:53 Cardinal Confessions: Free Agency Discussion

19:26 Zac Gallen Contract Debate

22:31 Cardinals Banking on Young Offensive Talent

26:06 Jo Adell Trade Possibility

28:08 Albert Pujols Padres Manager Interview

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/article_d536dfd4-8bf1-417a-9198-86f9dee6cedc.html

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