St. Louis Cardinals: Possible roster moves and lineup changes

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 6: Kolten Wong #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals is congratulated by Manager Mike Matheney #22 after scoring a first inning run against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on May 6, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 6: Kolten Wong #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals is congratulated by Manager Mike Matheney #22 after scoring a first inning run against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on May 6, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
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St. Louis Cardinals
ATLANTA, GA – MAY 6: Kolten Wong #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals is congratulated by Manager Mike Matheney #22 after scoring a first inning run against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on May 6, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

With Dexter Fowler and Kolten Wong returning from the DL after the All-Star break, the St. Louis Cardinals’ front office has some difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks before the fast approaching trade deadline of July 31.

The St. Louis Cardinals are winners of seven out of their last ten games, which puts them 4.5 games back from the first place Milwaukee Brewers. A season of ups and downs has created many unknowns for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. Should they be buyers or sellers? Or should they stay put? What young guys should get the call? There are so many questions with so little answers.

This season is uncharted territory for St. Louis Cardinals fans. This year has many similarities to last year. Sloppy base-running, sub-par defense, untimely hitting… we all know the script!

Two straight seasons of mediocre baseball has created uncertainty for Cardinals Nation. The front office isn’t okay with a third place finish in the Central Division, and it’s showed by reshuffling the coaching staff and sending down Aledmys Diaz and Randal Grichuk.

Some fans would argue the front office should do more like dismiss hitting coach John Mabry or promote Carson Kelly. For the record, I think the front office has handled things well so far this season.

There are five games left before the All-Star break, and I predict the St. Louis Cardinals win three or four of them. This will likely still put them around three games back of the division lead.

However, this still creates uncertainty for where the Cardinals will stand in the trade market. Instead of focusing on trade options, here are some internal options that should happen regardless of how the St. Louis Cardinals perform before the trade deadline.

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