Lars Nootbaar secures a raise but will miss WBC, a key player absent from Japan’s title defense

Lars Nootbaar, the Japanese-American outfielder from the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB, has recently reached a one-year, $5.35 million agreement with his club, thereby avoiding salary arbitration. Nevertheless, because he underwent surgery on both heels late in the 2025 season, he is anticipated to be absent from this March’s World Baseball Classic and will not participate in Japan’s championship defense.

According to U.S. media reports, Nootbaar entered arbitration during the 2025 offseason due to a salary expectation gap (he requested $2.95 million, while the team offered $2.45 million). Ultimately, before the deadline, he secured a $2.4 million raise and finalized the aforementioned contract with the club.

In the 2023 Classic, Nootbaar became the first Japanese-American player selected for the Japan national team. However, after undergoing heel surgeries this offseason, he will focus on rehabilitation and is therefore expected to skip the World Baseball Classic held this March.