John Mozeliak takes another L as Cardinals option former top prospect who looks totally lost

In a matter of days, the St. Louis Cardinals have now sent down two players who ranked within the club's top five in OPS during the 2023 season.

On Tuesday, 2020 first-round pick Jordan Walker was demoted to the Home of the Blues. On Wednesday, it was second baseman Nolan Gorman.

In the corresponding move, the Cardinals brought up José Fermín from Triple-A Memphis. The output from the 25-year-old infielder out of the Dominican Republic merits a call back to the big leagues. In the month of August, Fermín owns a .277 batting average, recording a hit in all but three contests this month with the Tennessee outfit.

Gorman, who finished with 27 blasts last year, was the 19th overall draft selection in the 2018 MLB Draft after he slashed .421/.641/.894 with 10 home runs in his high school campaign.

This season with St. Louis, Gorman has struggled at the plate, posting a meager .203/.271/.400 slash line and a lackluster .671 OPS. He has become a windmill in a hurricane — swinging but connecting with nothing but air. His strikeout percentage has dripped by 5.7 percentage points compared to 2023 while the walk rate has fallen from 11.4% to 8.5%.

Since the All-Star break, Gorman's performance has all but guaranteed his demotion. In 55 at-bats, he's managed only a .182 batting average and a .551 OPS. That just isn't going to cut it.

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Given Gorman's production, the Cardinals didn't have much of a choice but to send him to Memphis

There are only two players this season in all of baseball who have been punched out at a more consistent rate than Gorman. He is also the only player in MLB to strike out more than 144 times in fewer than 110 games played.

With this change, 2022 Gold Glove winner Brendan Donovan will see increased time at second base, meaning Tommy Pham and Matt Carpenter should receive more plate appearances.

"Two parts to it — our runway is shorter so, we're going to give a couple guys an opportunity to take competitive at-bats in that spot, and we also think this is the best thing for Gorman moving forward," said manager Oliver Marmol.

Marmol continued: "Him taking at-bats in a less stressful environment where it's not a win or go home type of environment. He can assess his night based on his performance, make adjustments and get back on track. Being able to take those at-bats in Triple-A makes sense right now."

Time is running short for St. Louis, now six games behind the final Wild Card spot. The team desperately needs a spark, and their recent offensive output clearly isn't providing it. This move represents the Cardinals' last gasp to salvage their season. The organization hopes Gorman can rediscover his groove in the minors, rebuilding his confidence before a likely September call-up when rosters expand to 28.