Nolan Gorman's Cardinals Outlook Is More Uncertain Than Ever

Will Nolan Gorman still be in St. Louis by the time the 2027 season gets here?

Sep 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One thing that is a positive about the St. Louis Cardinals is the fact that they don't have a lot to think about when it comes to internal free agents.

When the 2026 season comes to a close, Ryne Stanek is the only player with an option for the Cardinals to think about. Outside of him, the Cardinals have a young roster full of guys under team control. So, St. Louis doesn't need to think much about internal free agents. But there will be a lot to think about towards the end of November when clubs have to decide whether to tender contracts — or not — to arbitration-eligible players.

The deadline to tender contracts is the last Friday before Thanksgiving each November. This year, it will be on Nov. 20. The biggest decision to watch will be what the club decides to do with Nolan Gorman. He had a brutal 2026 season, which included being sent down to Triple-A throughout the summer. On Friday, MLB Trade Rumors shared their annual projections for arbitration salaries and Gorman's came out to $3.4 million. There are few in the business better at projecting arbitration salaries than MLB Trade Rumors, so, there's merit to this number.

What To Do With Nolan Gorman?

Sep 16, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) bobbles the ball as he scoops up a grounder hit by the San Francisco Giants up the third baseline in the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It doesn't guarantee that it would be the exact number, but it's the ballpark Gorman would be around after making $2.65 million in 2026. At the end of the day, for a club that is trying to build from the ground up, spending more than $3 million on Gorman seems like a potential misstep.

Gorman batted .184 in 85 games in the majors in 2026 with just nine home runs. He's known for power, but the numbers didn't follow in 2026. When he was down in Triple-A, he batted .182 with 13 home runs in 46 games. Even if you have big power, you can't bat below .200 and consistently be in a big league lineup. He already doesn't appear to be in the long-term plans for the organization. So, handing him a contract even larger than what he had in 2026 shouldn't be in the cards.

The Cardinals will have to decide whether or not to tender a deal before Nov. 20. In this scenario, this should be a case of potentially non tendering before the 2027 season. It's unfortunate, but he wasn't able to show significant progress in 2026.