Insider Suggests Cardinals Could Trade Former First-Round Pick In Shocking Deal

Is St. Louis ready to give up on the youngster?

Jun 3, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) reacts and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are embarking on a rebuilding journey that could pause the club's postseason hopes for the next few seasons.

Unfortunately, the once-revered Cardinals player development system has fallen behind the rest of the league. Consequently, St. Louis must play catch up, requiring a complete, multi-year reset.

The organization's broken player development system hasn't produced homegrown stars lately and that needs to change. Sadly, a former top prospect from St. Louis who has failed to live up to expectations could be on the move this offseason.

"(Nolan) Gorman won’t turn 25 until May," MLB Trade Rumors Steve Adams wrote Thursday. "He has huge power and has slashed .263/.316/.505 in parts of three Triple-A seasons. He’s also quite strikeout-prone, particularly in the majors so far (34.1%), and the Cards have other options at second base (Saggese) and third base (Jordan Walker) if they end up moving Arenado. He’s far from a slam-dunk trade candidate, but a change of scenery also shouldn’t come as a major shock."

Gorman was demoted to Triple-A Memphis in Aug. after batting .203 with 34 extra-base hits including 19 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .671 OPS in 107 games played for the Cardinals this season.

The Cardinals' 2018 first-round draft pick is supposed to be a critical member of St. Louis' future but after his regression at the plate this season, it's tough to tell where Gorman will end up if he continues to trend downward.

The 24-year-old is entering his final year of pre-arbitration, so there's plenty of time left for Gorman to figure things out with the Cardinals. However, St. Louis might find a decent prospect package for the young second baseman in the trade market that could tempt a deal.

It's doubtful the Cardinals would give up on Gorman this early in his career, especially since he's still under team control. Anything can happen this winter, so perhaps a shocking trade for the young slugger will happen.

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