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11 potential matches for the St. Louis Cardinals' latest deadline need

John Mozeliak noted the Cardinals have struggled against lefties, but will they look outside the organization to fix the problem?
ByScott Plaza|
Jun 16, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) and right fielder Taylor Ward (3) celebrate at home plate after Trout hit a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Jun 16, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) and right fielder Taylor Ward (3) celebrate at home plate after Trout hit a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Cardinals are approaching the trade deadline not yet sure of which route they will take. John Mozeliak has noted it may take until the actual day of the deadline before they make a decision, but he does note there are holes on the current roster.

In two recent pieces by Katie Woo of The Athletic and Jeff Jones from the Bellesville News-Democrat, the outgoing President of Baseball Operations discussed the team's current season and playoff push while also understanding the need to focus on the future. In Woo's article, the question was clear to Mozeliak asking if the Cardinals would target a right-handed bat. The need for a righty option at the plate makes sense due to the Cardinals' continued struggle against southpaws and the overall lefty-heavy make-up of the offense.

The Cardinals continue to struggle against left-handed pitchers, but there does not appear to be a solid offensive option in the organization.

While totaling the most plate appearances against left-handed pitchers in the MLB, the Cardinals have been among the worst teams in the league in major statistics. The team ranks in the bottom half of all of baseball in batting average, WRC+, slugging percentage, and strikeout rate against lefties. Part of the reason the team has faced so many left-handed pitchers is because they have five left-handed hitters who are part of the regular lineup. Cardinal lefties have also taken the most at-bats against same-handed pitchers, and those batters are hitting just .203 (21st) with a 71 WRC+ (19th) in those spots.

Missing Ivan Herrera is a massive reason why the team is struggling against these pitchers. The designated hitter/catcher has a .733 slugging percentage and and five homers against lefties, which are tops on the team despite Herrera being on the IL for half of the season. While he has been out of the lineup, Alec Burleson has picked up the slack with a strong surge, but even Burleson is starting to regress along with the rest of the team. Nolan Arenado has been banged up as well, so that has forced players like Thomas Saggese, Garrett Hampson, and Jose Fermin into the lineup more often than the team probably would like.

In house, there are not a lot of options that could bring the offense to another level against lefties. Luken Baker has been on the MLB roster this season but has seen few opportunities and is struggling to hit for average down in Memphis. If he were to be called up again, it would be as a strict DH option, and he would most likely only face left-handed starters. The rest of the Cardinals' better bats are all lefties in JJ Wetherholt, Jimmy Crooks, Cesar Prieto, Matt Koperniak, Nathan Church, and Michael Siani. The left-handed logjam is a problem that the Cardinals will have to solve during this trading deadline and beyond.

John Mozeliak noted the Cardinals' struggles against lefties but did not mention any specific strategy for solving this problem. He mentioned that Herrera, Arenado, and Contreras have all been hurt at times, but the team needs to find more firepower beyond those three.

Potential fits to fix the Cardinals' issues against southpaws

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