Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Settles with Cards at $5.35 million

The Cardinals and Nootbaar (heels) avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5.35 million contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Nootbaar played a career-high 135 games but produced a career-low .686 OPS for the Cardinals this past season. He underwent surgery on both heels in October and is not a lock to be ready for Opening Day. Once Nootbaar is ready, he's expected to be the team's primary left fielder.