MLB Insider Jim Bowden thinks the St. Louis Cardinals should consider a Nolan Gorman trade and I’ll be honest, I don’t see it at all.
Nolan Gorman has long felt like a stalwart in the St. Louis Cardinals’ long-term plans and should be a starter in the infield – at second or third bases – for the next decade.
To me, trading Gorman makes no sense. It’s something the Cardinals’ front office led by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has been adamant in not doing. So I was stunned to see Jim Bowden of The Athletic propose a trade that would send Gorman to the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Emerson Hancock.
To be fair, Hancock is a very talented pitcher. The 22-year-old was the No. 6 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Mariners and has a 2.62 ERA in one minor-league season (44.2 innings) while posting a 44/17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. But he was shut down by the Mariners in September due to a shoulder injury and while the injury did not require surgery or contain structural issues, it’s still a reason to be concerned.
If the Cardinals, or any other team, were to pursue a Hancock trade, they would the right-hander to undergo a thorough medical review before finalizing it. But there is no indication that the Cardinals are interested in such a deal, especially if it means that they would need to part with Gorman.
After all, Gorman is a versatile defender and is known for his power, with scouts who have watched him closely believing he has at least 30, if not 40, homers-per-season upside. Trading a player of that caliber, especially with him being so young (21), makes little-to-no sense.
I do understand why Bowden would see this as a potential match, however, considering the Cardinals covet pitching depth and have a glut of infielders. But Nolan Arenado is a strong candidate to opt out of his contract after 2022 and Gorman is his most logical replacement.
Trading Gorman would leave the Cardinals scrambling for answers, but it’s not something that Mozeliak has – or will – consider. Barring a significant change in thinking, Gorman will be in St. Louis in 2022 and beyond.
