MLBTR looked into Walker’s situation as the ’25 season neared its end. He will enter camp as the everyday right fielder, but will need to take a big step forward if he wants to establish himself as a fixture on the 2027 team. There could be even more urgency for Gorman, who is two years older than Walker and has more than 1,500 major league appearances to his name. He turns 26 in May. If a breakout season is in the cards, it should probably be now.
The opportunity should be there. After more than a year of trade rumors, the Cards found themselves in a row Nolan Arenado settled a few weeks ago. Third base is open, at least in the short term. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt is on the cusp of the majors and could even work his way onto the Opening Day roster. There’s a good chance the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan within the next two months, however, that would open up second base for Wetherholt. Then Gorman would compete with Thomas Saggese for playing time in the hot corner.
Saggese has a strong track record in the minor leagues, but his very aggressive approach likely leaves him in a good role. Gorman has flashed a higher ceiling, but it’s in the rearview mirror for a few seasons. As a rookie, he hit 14 home runs in 89 games, then hit 27 longballs with a .236/.328/.478 slash line in his second year. Gorman entered the 2024 season as a .232/.317/.454 hitter with 41 home runs in his first season and a half as a big leaguer.
There was plenty of swing-and-miss, but Gorman’s power was enough to fit in the middle third of a lineup. That wasn’t the case the past two seasons. Gorman has racked up about 800 trips to his plate in that time. His batting average and on-base percentage are down 30 points each, while his slugging grade is down more than 50 points. Gorman has a .204/.284/.385 slash line dating back to early 2024.
His overall profile is much the same as at the start of his career. The lefty batsman has a fairly patient approach and makes a decent number of walks, but his pure bat-to-ball ability is sub-par. That probably won’t change when he reaches his late twenties. He must do damage when he makes contact. A total of 33 home runs in his past 218 games isn’t enough.
Gorman struggled with a few injuries last year. He missed time early in the season with a hamstring injury and was sidelined during the All-Star Break with lower back pain. The actual number of injuries was minimal, but it is possible that he played at less than full strength the last two months. He finished the season with a .187/.278/.323 line while striking out at a nearly 40% rate in 45 games after returning from the IL stint. Gorman has been struggling with back problems for a few seasons now and then.
Whatever the cause, Gorman’s bat speed has gone slightly in the wrong direction. He’s still pulling a lot of balls to right field, where he’s most likely to hit for power, but it’s not with the same authority as in 2023. He’s also dramatically scaled back how often he swings on the first pitch and hunts for the heart of the plate. That gave him a few more walks than the year before, but it’s not ideal for putting him in positions where he can control the ball.
Gorman has between three and four years of service. He plays with an arbitration salary of $2.655 million. He still has a few minor league option years left, so he’s not currently on the roster bubble. However, a third straight performance at replacement level would likely make him a non-tender next season.
Image courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images.
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