Cardinals 25-Year-Old Infielder Under Fire Ahead of Opening Day

The Cardinals might not have the best replacement for Nolan Arenado at third base...

Sep 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) reacts after striking out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the midst of a rebuild, which they heavily leaned into this offseason by trading multiple star veterans off the big-league roster.

They traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox. Replacing these two won't be very difficult for the Cardinals. They have plenty of prospects to replace Gray while Alec Burleson is expected to slot in for Contreras.

They also traded Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan this winter. Replacing Donovan is going to be tough, but the Cardinals have JJ Wetherholt, one of the top prospects in the league, ready to step into Donovan's place. Nolan Gorman is expected to take over for Arenado and there are some mixed reviews on the youngster's readiness to take over in St. Louis.

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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently ranked Gorman as one of the worst starting third basemen in the league, citing his high strikeout rate as a reason he's never reached his full potential at the big-league level.

Nolan Gorman should get every chance to start at 3B for Cardinals

Sep 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) high-fives teammates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"With Nolan Arenado gone and the Cardinals squarely in rebuilding mode, Gorman will get every opportunity to show he can be a cornerstone piece of the future in St. Louis." Reuter wrote. "The former top prospect has always had elite power potential, and he has averaged 28 long balls per 162 games across four seasons in the majors, but a career strikeout rate around 34 percent has undercut his production."

Gorman has always had the potential to be a star at the big league level. His raw power ranks near the top of the entire Cardinals organization, but the youngster has struggled to find that at the highest level.

With Gorman expected to get the early nod at the hot corner, the Cardinals will likely give him a long leash. Don't expect him to be benched if he struggles early on. The Cardinals don't have too many top prospects who could take over for him at the position.

Still, players like Thomas Saggese could take over for Gorman if he's one of the worst players in the league at the position.

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