What to do with Walker?

[Goldfan]

Who was/is the decider in the Card org who decides of a player is ready for the jump to the ML Team?
Whoever it is……he/she is the most incapable clueless incompetent ignorant person in all or Pro Sports

[StlMike1969]

Walker and Gorman both need to be in AAA to start the season. It does no one any good for him to fail at the MLB level this year. Yeah, there is a chance he could find a groove. I just think it sends the wrong signal to current and future prospects. Get drafted high enough or rated as the next coming of Pujols, and you too can be in the show sooner rather than later, whether you earned it or not. He had a good 4 months in his rookie year, for a rookie. The league figured him out and he never found his stroke with all the jacking around they did with him. They were so desperate to have a young up and coming bopper they put blinders on to his true stroke and then screwed with what he had.

Gorman has been given every opportunity to excel and we are still talking about him maybe one day being consistent. Neither one has lit up AAA recently nor hit this spring. Instead you get guys like Koperniak that proved themselves in the minors. Got left there too long. Hit this spring well, and some are still calling him a bum and no hit Walker should start ahead of him because he is a big guy and young. Just does not make sense. Send Walker down with the message to earn his way back and Trade Gorman. Gorman may very well hit 30+ HR's mistake pitches for some one, but he will also strike out 200 times and hit for a .230 average. Most of those mistake pitches are going to come with the bases empty. His defense is not good enough to warrant a HR guy that strikes out a ton. He has had a lot more MLB at bats than Walker and a fair shot at earning a spot.

Saggesse has hit well this spring also and deserves that spot over Gorman.

Starting outfield should be Nootbar, Scott and Koperniak with Burleson as 4th at least to start the season.

My two cents.

[Melville]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

And the Cards are going to just hand him a job?
They either know something we don't or they're incredibly stupid.

So I put it to you fine folks. How would you handle Walker? What would your plan be for the youngster who is still only 22 years old?

I know what I'd do...I send him to Memphis. Tell him he is the everyday right fielder. Tell him to have fun and not worry about the stats. Tell him his priority is to simply hit hard line drives. After a couple of months I evaluate and go from there. There is no way that right now he needs to be playing in St Louis. Does him or the team no favors.

Same as Gorman, MEMPHIS bound for both.

Thy should be. There are better options right now.

What are the better options? And then, why are we trying to compete in 2025? It's a reset...and, imo, there's not any better options for the OF in the minors. You either let him try and figure it out at the Major League level or you trade him. Sending him to Memphis is the same as Keeping him St. Louis this season. Do you want him facing Major League pitching or AAA pitching with Zero modern developmental tools at Memphis? He'll learn more with the big league club...and if he struggles, who cares? You all know we aren't trying to compete...then why are we STILL trying make moves/lineups/etc to squeeze out a win that just isn't there? So I guess if you want him in Memphis, that means you want to hide him....that doesn't help him. Again, if we had the infrastructure to deal with his ails, then I'd be for it. Let's stay the course with the "let the kids play to see what we have". Letting Barrero or Fermin get major league AB's over Walker in 2025 isn't the answer...short term nor long term.

Koperniak is a better option, and he's earned it. But by all means let's gift Walker a job. Maybe he'll fail again and then we send him down. It worked out so well the first time. Then he can go get some of that minor league Bloom pixie dust.

Gift Walker a job (such as STL has done many times in the past - including with Mootbaar)?
No.
Give him 100 - 120 games playing nearly every day, in a year which the team has no intention of contending?
Absolutely.
Then evaluate.
As for Koperniak - you are correct.
He deserves an opportunity.
Give him one.
Trade Mootbaar, who has no future meaningful role in the organization (with Donovan and Burleson on-hand, he is redundant and a lesser player than either of those 2), for pieces who may be become key contributors down the road.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.

[Stlcardsblues]

Chaim has to consider moving him. There's possibly a few teams that may feel they can correct his ills?

You don't have to go forward with what you have...tough decisions need to be made. I guess they'll make those decisions after the 2025 season.

This approach will blow up on the team. Far too early to give up on him.

[Quincy Varnish]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

He hit 8 home runs in his last two months for Memphis w/ an .800+ OPS. That’s a lick.

I see no reason to send him back to AAA. Even if he struggles, he’s better off struggling against major league pitching and making adjustments.

[Quincy Varnish]

Chaim has to consider moving him. There's possibly a few teams that may feel they can correct his ills?

I have feeling he may not be eager to make himself look stupid. Also… trade him for what? More prospects? Ownership obviously is not in the mood to take on major league contracts.

[BrockFloodMaris]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

He hit 8 home runs in his last two months for Memphis w/ an .800+ OPS. That’s a lick.

I see no reason to send him back to AAA. Even if he struggles, he’s better off struggling against major league pitching and making adjustments.

Walker, like Gorman, is part of the 2025 “what do we have” project. Koper is part of project also (in my book). JW and NG get the lions share of the starts in RF and 2B. Koper and Fermin get some starts when the L/R splits dictate. By September, we should know what we have.

[An Old Friend]

Saggesse has hit well this spring also and deserves that spot over Gorman.

He has?

27% k-rate, 2 XBH in 33 PA… facing AA/AAA level pitching…

The others struggles not withstanding… he hasn’t hit well this spring.

[Dazepster]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

He hit 8 home runs in his last two months for Memphis w/ an .800+ OPS. That’s a lick.

I see no reason to send him back to AAA. Even if he struggles, he’s better off struggling against major league pitching and making adjustments.

Haven't watched an at bat this preseason.

If he is still using the stance where his front foot is pointed at third base:

He will not hit worth a lick.

[woofy25]

Some of you people love spring training. If the cardinals moved Walker and he become a stud elsewhere, you people would destroy the FO for giving up on him too early. Same with Gorman. Cmon. What’s the point of moving either of him? There is zero reason to. You guys and/or gals are funny.

[Quincy Varnish]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

He hit 8 home runs in his last two months for Memphis w/ an .800+ OPS. That’s a lick.

I see no reason to send him back to AAA. Even if he struggles, he’s better off struggling against major league pitching and making adjustments.

Haven't watched an at bat this preseason.

If he is still using the stance where his front foot is pointed at third base:

He will not hit worth a lick.

This afternoon…

[ramfandan]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

He hit 8 home runs in his last two months for Memphis w/ an .800+ OPS. That’s a lick.

I see no reason to send him back to AAA. Even if he struggles, he’s better off struggling against major league pitching and making adjustments.

AND some seem to have selective memory as to how Walker did last September in St. Louis when he was brought up for the final month.
Hit .250+ and in 29 ? games , Walker hit 5 HR's in that final month . So he did hit MLB pitching in that last stint when brought up last year.

If you look at his rookie year 2022, Walker played in 107 games with 420 at bats and had a B.A. of .276 with 16 HR's No other Cardinal who played in 100 or more games had a higher batting avg. than Walker . Not Goldy, Arnenado, Contreras, Nootbaar, Edman, Burleson, Gorman, O'Neil .
Note: Donovan played in 95 games and hit .284

The team sent him down in his rookie year despite decent numbers as they apparently wanted more 'launch angle ' ? Walker had a terrible sophomore season being demoted . As mentioned above, he looked good last September . Now this spring looks tough again
I don't see how more AAA would be beneficial at this point. Play him as they did his rookie year and see what the results are . Then the team can make a better judgment on his long range ability .

[riff raff]

Walker seems like a good kid who wants to succeed. Says all the right things. But let's face it...he's a dumpster fire at the plate. Didn't hit AAA or MLB pitching at all last season and has not hit a lick this spring.

And the Cards are going to just hand him a job?
They either know something we don't or they're incredibly stupid.

So I put it to you fine folks. How would you handle Walker? What would your plan be for the youngster who is still only 22 years old?

I know what I'd do...I send him to Memphis. Tell him he is the everyday right fielder. Tell him to have fun and not worry about the stats. Tell him his priority is to simply hit hard line drives. After a couple of months I evaluate and go from there. There is no way that right now he needs to be playing in St Louis. Does him or the team no favors.

Same as Gorman, MEMPHIS bound for both.

Thy should be. There are better options right now.

What are the better options? And then, why are we trying to compete in 2025? It's a reset...and, imo, there's not any better options for the OF in the minors. You either let him try and figure it out at the Major League level or you trade him. Sending him to Memphis is the same as Keeping him St. Louis this season. Do you want him facing Major League pitching or AAA pitching with Zero modern developmental tools at Memphis? He'll learn more with the big league club...and if he struggles, who cares? You all know we aren't trying to compete...then why are we STILL trying make moves/lineups/etc to squeeze out a win that just isn't there? So I guess if you want him in Memphis, that means you want to hide him....that doesn't help him. Again, if we had the infrastructure to deal with his ails, then I'd be for it. Let's stay the course with the "let the kids play to see what we have". Letting Barrero or Fermin get major league AB's over Walker in 2025 isn't the answer...short term nor long term.

Koperniak is a better option, and he's earned it. But by all means let's gift Walker a job. Maybe he'll fail again and then we send him down. It worked out so well the first time. Then he can go get some of that minor league Bloom pixie dust.

Gift Walker a job (such as STL has done many times in the past - including with Mootbaar)?
No.
Give him 100 - 120 games playing nearly every day, in a year which the team has no intention of contending?
Absolutely.
Then evaluate.
As for Koperniak - you are correct.
He deserves an opportunity.
Give him one.
Trade Mootbaar, who has no future meaningful role in the organization (with Donovan and Burleson on-hand, he is redundant and a lesser player than either of those 2), for pieces who may be become key contributors down the road.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.

You're weird dude

[craviduce]

Chaim has to consider moving him. There's possibly a few teams that may feel they can correct his ills?

I have feeling he may not be eager to make himself look stupid. Also… trade him for what? More prospects? Ownership obviously is not in the mood to take on major league contracts.

this is how I see it. 3 options.

1) Let him stay, get him 500 PA's (minimum), work with the current hitting coaches. Continue his work on his new stance/approach

2) Send him to Memphis, where the organization admits it is highly inadequate to help hitters. The R & D side is non-existent. This approach sets him back a year or more.

3) Trade him. Will we regret it, yes...he'll go to an organization that has the infrastructure and personnel available for him to succeed. Get what we can for him, the return will be more now than what we'd get in 2-3 years. I get the "more prospects" side you made, but if we get Single A players, or a good college player who doesn't require the retool that Walker does, and maybe a Comp Pick, too...then I think that's acceptable.

I know the organization is currently trying to get up-to-date on their R & D side, so getting a low A prospect would probably be easier to teach/handle.

I choose option 1. I never choose option 2, not with our current state with the minors. Option 3 I can live with, if done well. I never want to hold on to someone, b/c I'm in fear that they'll blossom somewhere else.

[craviduce]

The resistance this organization has made to R&D/infrastructure is felonious

We're literally 3-5 years at best from being consistently competitive again. Yes, we may eek out a season here and there where we're above .500 (see last year), but those will be outliers at best.

Not rebuilding/resetting this offseason was perplexing. I think we put ourselves back another 2 seasons. We literally have to nail this next draft....Top to bottom...or at least 1-10. I'll allow a pick or 2 in the top 10 that's underslot to save some money, but we need at least 3 or 4 difference makers....not a bunch of under 5'10" midgets who can take a walk b/c their personal strike zone is so small....I liked the Palm Beach team, but that's how they won their championship last year

[vegascardsfan5890]

I play him in the bigs all season. All 162 games if healthy.

He either finds success or crashes and burns

At least we will know for 2026