Cardinals Rising Star Trending Downward; Will Offseason Trade Be Considered?

St. Louis could make a shocking trade this winter

Apr 4, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrates with second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) after the Cardinals defeated the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a solid spot after bolstering the roster at the trade deadline without sacrificing top prospects or adding too much to the payroll.

The Cardinals' front office addressed all the club's needs, putting St. Louis in an excellent spot to compete for the playoffs and perhaps the National League Central crown.

One question remains after the deadline -- what do the Cardinals plan on doing with Jordan Walker this offseason if he continues to perform poorly in 2024?

Walker was demoted back in April after struggling at the beginning of the season with St. Louis, where he was expected to be a starting outfielder and an integral right-handed bat in the lineup.

Since being optioned to Triple-A Memphis -- mostly due to offensive struggles -- Walker hasn't improved his swing much. He played fairly well in June but has since retracted.

The 22-year-old batted .213 with seven extra-base hits including two home runs, 10 RBIs and a .654 OPS in 20 games played for Triple-A Memphis in July. From June to July, Walker's batting average dipped by .029, his OPS plummeted by .107 and he hit two fewer home runs.

The numbers don't look great for Walker, who was a star player for St. Louis in the second half last season. Now that the Cardinals are getting by without him and have plenty of outfield depth, he might be somewhat expendable.

The talented outfielder almost became the newest member of the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline but luckily, the Cardinals front office found another way to get the Erick Fedde deal done without having to give up Walker.

If the White Sox were interested in him this summer, it's likely that teams will consider trading for him this offseason as well. Perhaps the Cardinals can land another starting pitcher or high-leverage reliever by trading Walker in a package deal with some lower-level prospects.

Walker has a surplus of potential left and it would be painful to see him traded to another team. However, similar to the situation surrounding Tommy Edman's trade, it might just have to happen.

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