Is 2026 Nolan Gorman’s Last Chance with the Cardinals?

17 comments

1. Not rooting for him to fail, just expecting it.

2. Man love ya Bernie, but these ad reads are getting ridiculously long. You spent nearly 4 minutes talking about Draft Kings… Are they paying for an ad read of that length?

3. His and Jordan Walker. 2026 is their last chance. Now trade Donavan and start looking at spring training.

4. Dare I say Gorman cannot establish consistency because he has not been able to get consistent playing time. With Arenado gone, there is no reason to not play him at 3rd base every day. JJ should be at 2nd base and if Donny is still on the team, he should get the bulk of time in left field.

5. If this truly is a rebuilding year, if it really really is a rebuilding year, then put Gorman and Walker in the lineup everyday and leave them there and see what they can do with 500 plus at bats. No platooning, no lefty-righty splits. This is big boy baseball. You learn by doing. If they fail, they fail. Then you move on.

6. I think – by the numbers – Gorman is a better 2B than 3B. I think they play JJ at 3B

7. His rookie year was exciting, 14 bombs in limited playing time. Then the following season he had 17 2B 27 HR 76 RBI and his OBP was 100 points higher than his average, all in 119 games.

   He was only 23, I was very excited about Gorman after the 2023 season.

   But the last two he’s regressed more each season. I do put some blame on Gorman (you have too) but his (and Walker) regression is a failure of development.

   Bloom has brought in a ton of new people, some old faces still remain, but I do think he has, and will continue to, make real changes that we will see result in success on the field.

   Brant Brown seems like a solid hitting coach, so maybe year two with him, and a more cohesive hitting program throughout the organization will result in Gorman returning to his 2023 form, which for a 135-150 starts would be really great in the 6 hole.

   Now, we all know what Ollie will do if he has “options” at 3rd base, so hopefully Bloom can get the Donny deal done so Gorman can actually start 135-150 games at 3B.

   Also, it’s 2026, I wish 150ks in a season wasn’t normal for a power hitter, but it is, we have to get used to it.

   The days of Albert having like 10 more Ks than HRs are long gone.

   I’m actually feeling positive about this season (we’re still going to be pretty bad) but if Ollie does everything the smart people tell him to do, we could see some real progress amongst the young guys who have stalled out.

   Good stuff Bernie!

8. Spring should be the one more shot, same with Walker. We have seen enough. if they didnt take the offseason to grow they need to go!!!

9. Gorman might need to DH to concentrate on his hitting. Saggese needs his runway as well.

10. If you’re a gambling addict with erectile dysfunction who loves the Cardinals then this show is for you👍🏻

11. This should be the year for Gorman and Walker to prove they can live up to their the potential that the scouting system saw. If not then move on with other candidates. Walker worries me the most as the word on him is does not adjust well.

12. Im not trying to be a hater but I think a DFA by the trade deadline. Defense is slow as well as well as the lack of offense. Sorry. Just my thoughts.

13. We keep hearing that these guys need playing time. What have they been doing the last few years? Gorman especially has had years of chances. He’s not going to do anything this season either.

14. There is the danger of Gorman getting booed off the field. The man has got to know by now what his task is. MAKE F"N CONTACT. I cant remember him bunting once last year. I cannot believe that the entire coaching staff hasnt grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and made him practice bunting ad nauseum. The point is not to bunt all the time, but to train his intuition so he doesnt have to rely entirely on pitch recognition, which causes him to be a split second too late, or just plain wrong. Plus, it gives him options when there are runners at 1st and 2nd and less than 2 outs, to have a productive at bat. You cant just put him out there doing the same thing and expect different results. His weaknesses are well known and he has to figure something out to address the problem.

15. Ivan Herrera is about the only good power hitter they have

16. Gorman is going to fail.

17. I have given up on him. His defense makes it hard to put in the field, and his offense prevents him from being a DH.