Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) walks against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Cardinals 23-Year-Old Slugger Already Labeled Trade Candidate

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 15, 2026 9:31 AM ET

There's a lot to like about the St. Louis Cardinals heading into the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

St. Louis has a very young team loaded with high-end prospects. It may take them some time for the play on the field to translate to the standings because the team is so young, but overall, this is a club that has a bright future.

Guys like JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson have gotten a lot of praise this spring. With Winn and Burleson you know what you're going to get at this point. With Wetherholt, he looks like he could be the team's next star. But another guy who has an interesting year ahead is right fielder Jordan Walker. He is just 23 years old and is a former top prospect himself. He slashed .276/.342/.445 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs as a rookie in 2023. Since then, he has dealt with inconsistent roles and arguably, that is the reason for an offensive drop-off. It's going to be a big year for him as he'll have a chance to show the new front office what he can do.

While that is the case, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter listed Walker among seven "change of scenery" trade candidates for the 2026 season.

The Cardinals slugger will be someone to watch

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Jordan Walker hit .306/.388/.510 with 53 extra-base hits in 119 games at Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2022, seemingly realizing the potential that made him the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 draft," Reuter wrote. "Few players flash upside as immense as Walker's... Equipped with plus power and average or better plate skills, Walker could develop into a perennial all-star,' wrote Baseball America while ranking him as the No. 4 prospect in baseball to begin the 2023 season.

"He broke camp as the Cardinals' starting right fielder that year, and while he logged a 113 OPS+ over 465 plate appearances as a rookie, he has hit just .211/.270/.324 in 574 plate appearances the last two years. The rebuilding Cardinals will give him a long runway, but it might take a change of scenery to jump-start his career."

This idea depends on how he plays in 2026. Walker is just 23 years old, the same age as Wetherholt. He can still be that top prospect the Cardinals believed he was. If the 2026 season is inconsistent, then maybe after the campaign look elsewhere. But there's really no reason to give up on him. It's not too surprising someone would suggest a trade because of the inconsistencies in St. Louis so far, but Walker has so much talent and the club shouldn't give up on him.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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