An argument can be made that if Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman had lived up to their potential, the St. Louis Cardinals would not be in a rebuild now, but they haven’t so here we are. Is it time for the Cardinals to move on or should they hang on to these very talented players? I’ll share some scenarios for and against.
Then President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said that 2025 would be a runway season for the St. Louis Cardinals where young players would be given the opportunity to take advantage
of regular game time and show improvement. That was especially true for Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman who had both previously been expected to be cornerstones of a future Cardinals lineup. In 351 at-bats, Nolan Gorman only managed 72 hits, 14 home runs, 46 RBI’s and a measly .205 batting average with a .666 OPS that only Damien could love. Sorry for the obscure Omen II movie reference. Jordan Walker had a similar line with 363 at-bats, 78 hits, 6 home runs, 41 RBI’s and a .215 batting average. His OPS of .584 is slightly less evil-sounding, but even more disappointing. To say that both of these players have failed to establish themselves as cornerstones of a Cardinals lineup is an understatement, so what should the team do about these two?
There are a lot of moving parts that will decide if new President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom moves on from Walker and Gorman and trades them or hangs on for one more season or less. If the Cardinals are successful in finding a new home for Nolan Arenado, that might open up the chance that they hold onto Gorman. With the weak projections for a St. Louis Cardinals outfield in 2026, giving Jordan Walker yet another opportunity might not be insane. You have to figure that the Cardinals will have to sell extremely low on both players if they decide to move on.
Here’s the scenario where you trade either Nolan Gorman or Jordan Walker or both. Do the Cardinals believe that either player is impeding a prospect in the minor leagues that is ready for the big show? Since JJ Wetherholt is expected to begin his major league career as a 2nd baseman, that places Gorman in the way if the team is unable to move Nolan Arenado. I can’t come up with an outfield prospect that Walker is stealing play time from, but there’s another factor that could mean it’s time for the Cardinals to move him anyway. Manager Oli Marmol and hitting coach Brant Brown both questioned Walker’s preparation with digs at his commitment in a radio interview with KMOX. While I wonder about the need for a public scolding, does this mean that management now believes Walker isn’t prepared to put in the work and/or make adjustments? That could be a big motivation to move him if the answer is yes.
Let’s consider the argument for hanging on to Nolan Gorman and/or Jordan Walker. Do the St. Louis Cardinals believe they have nothing to lose to give one or both players another opportunity in 2026 considering the fact that Chaim Bloom has said that winning in 2026 is desirable, but not the focus. What about the new and upgraded (their words, not mine) player development system and staff in the Cardinals organization? Would Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker benefit from new approaches and tools that the Cardinals say they now have in place?
I’ll share my 2 cents if it’s even worth that much. I would be in favor of the St. Louis Cardinals keeping Gorman and Walker unless a team comes forward and is prepared to offer solid talent in exchange. Since the 2026 season has been described as one where winning isn’t a priority over developing future talent, what do they have to lose? But, as I said before, what the Cardinals do depends on many other factors including whether or not Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado get traded. I may be naive, but I also daydream about what the Cardinals lineup would look like if either Walker or Gorman really figure out how to correct their approaches/swing/plate discipline, etc.
