NFL Writer Claims Cardinals' Disappointing Young Star 'On Short Leash'

The St. Louis Cardinals have been on of the hottest teams in baseball recently as they sit on an impressive eight game winning streak.

But not everything has been perfect in St. Louis. In fact, the team has a few talented players struggling early this season.

FanSided's Christopher Kline recently suggested Cardinals young outfielder Jordan Walker was "on a short leash" to turn his season around.

"St. Louis risks too much simply offloading Walker, but if the right trade proposal comes along, with the right package of projectable prospects, the Cards will at least need to consider it," Kline wrote. "In the meantime, it feels like Walker is up for a demotion — either to the bench or, god forbid, all the way down to Triple-A.

"With Jose Berrero swinging the bat well (.824 OPS through 170 ABs), it feels like only a matter of time until St. Louis shakes things up and puts Walker on ice for a bit. Maybe he just needs a mental break to assess and adjust. Maybe a stint in the minors would help restore confidence. But, as is, this is not working, and the Cardinals are trying to stack wins in a competitive NL Central. Again... something's gotta change."

It might be time for Walker to land in Triple-A. Trading him or giving up on him while he's still one of the younger players in baseball would be quite foolish, but the Cardinals can't afford to keep trotting him out there.

He has some of the most impressive tools in the game, but he hasn't put the pieces together yet. At just 22 years old, there's plenty of time for him to turn it around before the Cardinals should even consider giving up on him.