Cardinals Urged To Give Former Top Prospect More Playing Time In 2025

The Cardinals should give this former prospect a longer leash.

Mar 6, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals hat and gloves lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are taking a different direction in 2025. As opposed to other years in which they would look to contend, the Cardinals will instead be taking a step back and entering a rebuild.

This means that younger players will be given more opportunities, and some high-priced veterans may be shipped out. Nolan Arenado and Ryan Helsley are two potential trade candidates.

When projecting each MLB team's Opening Day lineup for 2025, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter had Arenado missing from the Cardinals lineup, but also urged the team to give former top prospect Jordan Walker more chances to prove himself.

"The Cardinals are focused on getting younger, and a trade of Nolan Arenado seems like a real possibility this winter. He has a no-trade clause, but if St. Louis is headed for a rebuild, there is a good chance he will be open to waiving it in favor of joining a contender," Reuter wrote.

"Jordan Walker needs to be penciled into an everyday role and left to develop. The team's shuttling him between Triple-A and the majors has been a disservice to his development, and he still has legitimate star-caliber upside if everything clicks."

Walker had a strong rookie season in 2023 but took several steps back in 2024. The Cardinals haven't exactly had a lot of patience with him in the last two years.

If they want to develop players, then it makes sense to prioritize keeping Walker at the big-league level. If they're not going to contend in 2025, Walker needs to be given more chances to prove himself.

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