Jordan Walker may be running out of chances with the Cardinals

It wasn’t long ago that Jordan Walker was one of the top 10 prospects in the MLB.

In 2022, Walker dazzled in Double-A when he hit 19 home runs with a .306 average. So, without being tried at the Triple-A level at all, he made the Opening Day roster in 2023. It wasn’t until after a decent start that Walker saw Triple-A action. Walker spent just over a month with the Redbirds before being called back up to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Walker finished 2023 with 16 home runs and a respectable .276/.342/.445 slash line at the big-league level. Coming into this year, he looked like another budding star that would soon be batting in the middle of the order for the Cardinals.

What happened?

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Jordan Walker's latest demotion doesn't bode well for his Cardinals future

Walker got off to a very cold start this year. From Mar. 28 to Apr. 23, Walker posted a .155 average with no home runs, adding only a modest four doubles and one triple to his stats. That’s when the Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A.

Back with the Triple-A Redbirds, Walker had a few good stretches finishing the minor league stint with nine home runs and a .257 average. In his last two minor league games, Walker went 2-4 in both games, hitting homers in each. Expecting his sophomore funk to be over, the Cards gave him another call.

Sadly, after just four games, Walker found himself riding the bus back down once more.

Walker went 1-11 in that brief time. It might be fair to say Walker didn’t get much of a chance, but perhaps this could be the Cardinals way of saying their patience is wearing very thin.

The Cardinals have been vying for a Wild Card spot that has been slipping too far from their grasp. At a time like this, they need every cylinder firing. The low hanging fruit vulnerable to be moved was Walker. But what does this mean for Walker?

I hate to use this example, but we saw another scenario play out with Dylan Carlson, a former top prospect that couldn’t keep it together for long. Is a bit early to compare the two? Probably. But this doesn’t mean moving Walker this offseason isn’t a viable option.

If there’s two things we just learned, the Cardinals don’t have very much patience for Walker and they don’t trust him well enough to see if his numbers can recover at the major league level this season.

But before we jump to conclusions, let's answer one question. Could Walker’s demotion be because the Cardinals want him to get more experience at the Triple-A level and they plan to keep him for years to come? Yes, but any way you look at it, the Cardinals’ approach doesn’t make very much sense. He was given only four games to prove he was a vastly improved player.

Currently, Walker should still hold a decent trade value as a young player (only 22) with past success that is still finding his sea legs upon the raucous waters of the major leagues.

If he doesn’t make a good impression in Triple-A the rest of this season, that will make the offseason and the trade deadline all the more interesting. Still, any decision on his fate rests on John Mozeliak.