The Cardinals Player Most Likely to Be Traded This Offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals have a clear trade candidate on their hands this offseason.

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

Unlike last offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals don't have a handful of veterans running out of team control and on the trade block.

Shortly after the 2025 season came to a close, it was fairly obvious that Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras would at least be shopped ahead of the 2026 season. There were other variables at play, like no-trade clauses and money left on deals, that complicated things. But the Cardinals ended up trading all four away. JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar were talked about as offseason trade candidates, but didn't get moved until the trade deadline.

This offseason, the trade market is far less obvious because there aren't aging veterans all over the place. This is a young team with pretty much everyone under team control in 2027. Still, if one guy is going to get traded this winter, the most obvious option arguably is infielder Nolan Gorman.

Is It Time To Move On From Nolan Gorman?

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

Last year, Gorman entered the offseason with a big role ahead. With Arenado out the door, that opened up third base for Gorman, but he wasn't able to take over and run with it into the future. Gorman's offensive struggles continued. So much so that he was demoted down to Triple-A in June and didn't return until August. His return was because of injuries to the big league club, rather than tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A.

At this point, Gorman clearly isn't the answer for the Cardinals. If St. Louis saw fit, it could non-tender him this offseason and let him walk to free agency. But he's also still just 26 years old with big power. Back in 2023, he hit 27 homers in his second season in the big leagues. There could very well be a team out there that convinces itself that it can get Gorman back to hitting the ball out of the ballpark.

So, rather than non-tendering him, St. Louis should look for a deal this winter. The Cardinals wouldn't get a lot for him, but something is better than nothing.

Again, there aren't a lot of glaring trade candidates throughout the Cardinals' roster this year, unlike last year. But if someone should be on the move, it would be Gorman after another tough season. The Cardinals are pretty set in the infield. Third base remains a question, but St. Louis has other solutions.