Cardinals-Nolan Gorman Saga Could Be Coming to an End

The St. Louis Cardinals slugger has had a roller coaster of a stint with the organization.

May 13, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Athletics during the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It sounds like the St. Louis Cardinals aren't going to be leaving any stone unturned before Monday's trade deadline.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have been popping up left and right around guys on the big league roster with Dustin May being the most prominent. But there is a slugger down in the minors that the Cardinals are shopping as well. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals will shop around and see what type of value they could get in return for third baseman Nolan Gorman before Monday's deadline.

"With several clubs scouring the market for catchers, the Cardinals are also open to interest in catcher Pedro Pages," Goold wrote. "He’s viewed as a defense-first option for clubs looking to stabilize that aspect of the position beyond this year. The Cardinals will also see what interest there is in former first-round pick Nolan Gorman, who is currently at Class AAA Memphis but arbitration eligible this winter."

The Cardinals Should Flip Nolan Gorman

May 19, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) celebrates with third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) after hitting a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gorman notably has had a roller coaster of a stint with the Cardinals and was demoted down to Triple-A back in June. At the time, he was slashing .194/.280/.318 with a .598 OPS, seven homers, and 26 RBIs in 62 games played. He hasn't been able to get his bat going down in Triple-A. He's slashing .170/.328/.415 with a .743 OPS in 30 games with eight homers and 18 RBIs.

On the bright side, his on-base percentage and slugging percentage are both higher than they were when he got demoted, but he swings and misses at a very high clip. In 30 games, Gorman has struck out 47 times in Triple-A. When he connects, he can hit the ball a long way. But he hasn't been able to consistently get his bat on the ball.

Gorman entered the 2026 season expected to be the team's starting third baseman. Everyone knows that the power is there. But he had inconsistent roles in the past, so the hope was that this would be the season that unlocked him with an opening at third base. Unfortunately, it hasn't been the case.

If the Cardinals can trade Gorman, they likely won't get too much in return at this point. He's just 26 years old and is a former first-round pick, but his swing-and-miss is concerning and he hasn't been able to shake it off yet. If the Cardinals could trade him for a mid-tier pitching prospect, that would be a win.