As part of the ongoing lockout, MLB staff are not allowed to discuss any of the banned players with the media. However, this does not apply to players who are not on the roster of 40, so front office staff are free to discuss prospects who have not yet earned a spot on the roster. As such, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Moseliac provided MLB.com’s John Denton with some comments about Nolan Gorman, Masyn Wynn as well as Jordan Walker. (Twitter links one, 2 as well as 3.)
About Gorman Mozelyak said the following: “Very impressive. His development and the way he grows and creates more value for himself by playing multiple positions is positive. From an attacking point of view, we are all excited to see what he can do.” Gorman had a great year in 2021, playing 119 games between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a .279/.333/.481 total, wRC+115. The 21-year-old is now regarded as one of the best. Top 60 players according to Baseball America, FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline. As Mozelyak points out, Gorman also expanded his positional versatility last year. Until 2021, he only played third base in the Cardinals’ system, but last year he played 77 games at second base, compared to 32 games in the hot corner. Of course, the club already has a great third baseman in Nolan Arenadowho has a contract until 2027. (He may opt out of his contract after this year, but given the fact that he just opted out last year, it’s unlikely he’ll do so.) Second base, however, seems likely to be staffed. Tommy Edman this year, although he could land a super-powerful role if Gorman could make his way into the picture.
As for Wynn, Mozelyak tells Denton that the youngster will focus exclusively on shortstop this spring. The Cardinals selected Wynn as a two-way player in 2020, and he used both aspects of his trade last year. However, he only made one appearance on the hill, throwing one inning. As for the other part of his game, he played 438 matches between A-ball and High-A, hitting .242/.324/.356. It looks like his pitching aspirations will take a backseat for now, although it’s always possible that he could return to the mound in the future.
When asked about Jordan Walker’s future positions, Mozelyak said: “He’s going to get jobs in different places, but he’s such a good athlete that I don’t think this is a panic moment for us. … As (most) have heard me say before, if you get in, we’ll find you a place to play.” Walker has definitely hit the ground running in 2021, his first year of playing action in the professional ranks. Between A-ball and High-A, he made 366 plate appearances and hit .317/.388/.548, wRC+151. On defense, Walker only played third base last year. But given Arenado’s presence, it makes sense to give him the opportunity to try to find another home, just like Gorman.