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The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons. As the team moves into 2025, they are looking to cut payroll and focus more on younger talent. The Cardinals have a lot of young talent, particularly on the field. Most of their starters are homegrown, including utility man Brendan Donovan, outfielder Jordan Walker and infielder Nolan Gorman. Heading into next season, Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso has some words of motivation for Walker and Gorman, courtesy of team beat reporter Benjamin Hochman on X, formerly Twitter.
“Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso on Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman: ‘I mean, if we're being honest, Jordan has to hit more line drives and Nolan has to make more contact. Like, in the simplest form. They’re going to get the chance to go do that,'” posted Hochman on the social media site.
Descalso's points of criticism are valid, as both young hitters need to improve in 2025. Gorman and Walker were both highly touted prospects at one time, but each of them has hit roadblocks since getting to the majors. In order to reach their promise, they had in the minors, making adjustments like the ones suggested by Descalso should only help. Usually, the criticism isn't in public, but in this case it's not unwarranted. For the Cardinals to get back to contention, young players like Walker and Gorman need to take the next step in 2025. Can they do that? For now, the jury is still out.
Cardinals look to improve in 2025, beyond
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt left the team in free agency. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak is still trying to cut payroll, with efforts focused on trading long-time third baseman Nolan Arenado. It is possible that the former Colorado Rockies standout is still on the team come Opening Day, but it won't be for lack of trying. They are also reportedly looking to trade starting pitchers Steven Matz and Sonny Gray. So, in an area where the team is trying to save money, having players like Walker and Gorman make a leap in their development would be a great turn of events.
Still, there's a chance that Descalso's words might hinder that development. Some players don't take words of criticism well, especially when it's in public. As spring training draws closer, the Cardinals and their fans will see just how much the young tandem has improved. Will Gorman and Walker be ready to make the turn into stars in 2025? If they can, then improvement should happen on a daily basis at Busch Stadium.
