both players will remain in the starting lineup<\/a> based on their performance.<\/p>\nWhat does this mean for Gorman, Walker and Nootbaar? Marmol has the flexibility to play Gorman every day with Nolan Arenado on the 10-day IL. As we\u2019ve seen, the bulk of those starts will take place at third base. The Cardinals feel they have a better understanding of who Gorman is as a hitter and are seeing crucial adjustments with his plate approach. Gorman has cut down his strikeout percentage from 37.6 last season to 29.8 this year. His 13.2 percent walk rate isn\u2019t just a career high, but it also ranks in the top 10 percent of the league. The Cardinals already have too many bat-first left-handers (as discussed later in this mailbag), which is why they need to find out where Gorman can play defensively.<\/p>\n
As for Walker and Nootbaar? Neither has taken the steps forward offensively that the organization had hoped. They will continue to see consistent playing time, likely four to five starts a week, but Marmol won\u2019t bench Burleson or Herrera \u2014 position players who have seized the most of their opportunity \u2014 at the expense of granting more playing time for others who haven\u2019t performed as well.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t to suggest the organization has soured on Walker or Nootbaar. The point of this transition year was to evaluate players over the course of an entire season, and both players still have a month to pick up their production. But it\u2019s no secret that adviser Chaim Bloom will have major roster changes to address when he takes over as president of baseball operations. Some players, like Herrera and Burleson, have made those decisions easier. The book is still out on many others.<\/p>\n
A lot of this season has been dedicated to letting the younger players get reps so the front office can analyze them. One of the big things we\u2019ve noticed accordingly is the roster jam. Are the Cardinals looking to address that in the offseason since it wasn\u2019t at the trade deadline? Are more than just expiring contracts going to be moved? \u2014 Charles R.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nI believe so, and that\u2019s why I feel this offseason will be far more interesting than last year\u2019s (low bar, I know, but I digress).<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve talked ad nauseam about the roster jam. St. Louis has far too many left-handed hitters, not enough starting pitching, an assortment of makeshift corner outfielders, a lack of right-handed power bats, and a deep run of catchers. While we do not know exactly how Bloom will address this, it\u2019s safe to assume it will be a priority because the Cardinals used the entire 2025 season to help facilitate those decisions.<\/p>\n
Rival teams were interested in many of the Cardinals\u2019 left-handed bats at the trade deadline, John Mozeliak said. I would imagine the new front office looks at that area first when it comes time to evaluate next year\u2019s roster. St. Louis will likely be active in the trading and free agency markets, but not any blockbusters. The moves will have to create better roster flexibility and help replenish the minor-league system \u2014 and of course, shed payroll.<\/p>\n
Cardinals fans should be preparing for a rebuild. Bloom\u2019s history with the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox will provide guidelines. It won\u2019t be a full teardown, and it doesn\u2019t need to be. This roster will not be fixed after one offseason. Adjust your expectations accordingly.<\/p>\n
Any chance Nolan Arenado is placed on waivers before Sept. 1 as a salary dump? Would a playoff-desperate team take on his contract? \u2014 Bernie V.<\/strong><\/p>\nWill the front office have the courage to tell Arenado that if he doesn\u2019t approve a trade and\/or start hitting, he will be riding the bench next season? \u2014 Kevin H.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nThere is virtually no chance the Cardinals offload Arenado before the season is over. You think this ownership is going to eat the over $40 million remaining on his contract? Guess again!<\/p>\n
No front office, whether led by Mozeliak or Bloom, has the authority to demand a player who has a full no-trade clause to approve a trade. It\u2019s a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. While a team can sit a player for poor performance, Cardinals ownership has always operated under the pretense that if they are paying a player, they play that player.<\/p>\n
The Cardinals are expecting Arenado (right shoulder strain) to return in September. We probably won\u2019t be discussing his playing time in St. Louis come next season. St. Louis will again attempt to trade their third baseman (easier said than done). That would be the best-case scenario for all involved, but it will also be difficult. Arenado has played an elite third base this year, but his trade value has dropped again from an offensive standpoint. He has two years remaining on his contract, and it\u2019s unlikely any contending team is willing to pay the majority of his deal. For an Arenado trade to take place this winter, ownership will have to be comfortable with eating more money, or the front office will have to sweeten the pot by packaging other players in a potential deal. I think a trade happens for the betterment of the player and the team.<\/p>\n
What are the chances, if any, that the organization locks up some of the younger cornerstone guys to buy out their arbitration years and first few years of free agency? \u2014 E.J. K.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nWe\u2019re certainly seeing teams buying out players\u2019 arbitration years become a trend around the industry, but I think it\u2019s far too early to tell if the Cardinals will do that. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll see that this offseason, though, just based on conversations where payroll is heading next year.<\/p>\n
St. Louis has not had substantial extension talks with any of its players. That makes sense, given the front office change. Brendan Donovan could be a candidate, as he has just two years remaining before free agency after this season. Where the Cardinals are as a franchise will come into play. If St. Louis doesn\u2019t feel it will be close to competing again by 2028, would it be worth locking down a key player, or would Donovan be better served as a trade chip? These are the questions the new front office will inherit, which makes extension conversations (with any player) unlikely to start.<\/p>\n
I know Sonny Gray will be a viable option for next year, but out of all the internal options, who is an actual, real candidate for our rotation next year? Can they truly trust Matthew Liberatore or Andre Pallante, or must Bloom make a trade for a legit young cost-controlled starter? \u2014 Jarrod H.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat are the plans for the starting rotation next year? As things stand now, next year\u2019s rotation will only have one proven and reliable starter in Sonny Gray, and he will be 36. \u2014 Evan O.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m not all that sure Sonny Gray is a lock to be in next year\u2019s rotation. While Gray has always publicly said he likes St. Louis, and he previously denied considering waiving his no-trade clause, he and the Cardinals could have a change of heart this winter. From a speculation standpoint, Gray is owed $35 million in 2026, the final season of his three-year deal (not including a $30 million club option for 2027). That is a lot of money to pay for one pitcher when the team isn\u2019t exactly planning to be competitive next year. Gray might be inclined to at least peruse the trade market to see if there\u2019s an opportunity with another team to pitch in meaningful ball games next year.<\/p>\n
Even if Gray stays with St. Louis, the Cardinals still have a rotation depth problem. It\u2019s why Pallante continues to start, despite having a 1-6 record and 7.22 ERA in the second half. Tommy John surgeries for pitching prospects Tekoah Roby, Sem Robberse and Cooper Hjerpe definitely don\u2019t help either. Bloom will likely have to add externally, as the Cardinals do not have enough options for next season. The degree to which he does that \u2014 and the type of talent he\u2019d be seeking \u2014 remains unknown.<\/p>\n
(Top photo of Ivan Herrera: Harry How \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The focus is firmly on the future for the St. Louis Cardinals, who dropped the series finale to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":174826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[1266,62,3692,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-174825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-mlb","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-st-louis-cardinals","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115090494075036895","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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