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Aug 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a single in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cardinals-Jordan Walker Dilemma Explained: What's Next For St. Louis?

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have a few big questions to address this upcoming offseason, but the biggest arguably is the future of outfielder Jordan Walker.

It's important to note that Walker is just 23 years old. He won't be a free agent for a few years and was the club's No. 1 prospect at one point. If you remember, there was more excitement about him heading into the 2023 season than potentially any other player on the roster. The fact that he made the club out of camp and then shined out of the gate was talked about endlessly.

Despite some early struggles afterward, he finished his rookie season slashing .276/.342/.445 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs in 117 games played. That production, along with his standing as the team's No. 1 prospect heading into the season, made it seem like the Cardinals had their next homegrown star.

The last two seasons have been a roller coaster for him, though. There's been times in which he has looked like that dominant player from 2023. And others when he has looked lost at the plate. A flucuating role in the organization certainly hasn't helped as well.

Again, he's just 23 years old. But, now with a new front office taking over led by Chaim Bloom, it's going to be interesting to see whether or not the team sticks with him moving forward, or uses him as a piece to bring back prospects.

It's a question that's not going away anytime soon. Over the next few months, there's going to be a lot out there about Walker and his standing with the team. It's always hard to cut through the noise, which is why it's important to listen to what the team insiders are saying. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is one of the best out there. He was asked about Walker on Tuesday and gave an introspective answer to the dillema at hand for St. Louis.

What will the Cardinals do with Jordan Walker?

Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"I would prefer not to guess, honestly," Goold said. "I'll do my best here in the chat to rely on reporting -- not guessing. The Cardinals and Jordan Walker are reaching a decisive point in his career, and it will be Chaim Bloom and his group that makes it. Walker has not improved as he would like, as the Cardinals would hope, and as his potential would suggest. That said, I spent some time in a recent newsletter looking out how players of his profile and size are usually not in the majors at his age -- and they don't reach their stride until their mid-20s, start of the late-20s. The Cardinals sped that up with Walker, for sure. And that puts them all on the clock.

"He's got one more option year remaining, but there's a sense within the team that going back to the minors will not benefit him. That leaves the team and Walker with this situation -- either they trade him and watch if he reaches that peak elsewhere at an age when others with his profile did, or they keep him, play him, press on as he accumulates service and see what happens. It's a real bind for the player and for the team, and at some point this winter there will be a discussion -- definitely internally and perhaps with Walker and his rep about what they can do to help him thrive with the Cardinals, if they believe he can thrive with the Cardinals, or if a change of scenery is inevitable."

There are "predictions" and "projections" out there left and right. But, this answer from Goold highlights the true nature of the question. Really, right now, there doesn't seem to be an answer. It's not an easy question and it will be one in front of Bloom pretty much immediately when he takes over as president of baseball operations.

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

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