Are opportunities or lineup optimization more important for young Cardinals in 2026?

We are at the point in the offseason where we can stare extra long at very specific topics and hypotheticals for the St. Louis Cardinals. While almost everyone agrees that the club could use another right-handed bat to help balance their lineup in 2026, I am starting to wonder whether that supersedes the ability to maximize at-bats for young position players this year.

The Cardinals lineup ranked tied for 15th in baseball with a 97 wRC+ against southpaws in 2025, but they just lost a significant amount of that positive production this offseason. Only four Cardinals hitters last season posted a wRC+ higher than 100 against lefties in 50 or more plate appearances, and Willson Contreras (142 wRC+) and Nolan Arenado (102 wRC+) are now both gone. Only Ivan Herrera (205 wRC+) and Nolan Gorman (106 wRC+) remain on the roster with above-average production against southpaws.

It's not fair to expect Herrera to be that dominant against lefties again, and maybe the Cardinals will see a boost in production from Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan, or Alec Burleson, but as of now, it's a big red flag for their roster. Thus the argument to add another right-handed bat to the mix.

But again, is that what they really need to do? I'm not against it, but I do wonder if it would just be better to let their young bats have as many chances as possible.

Adding a right-handed bat would take away playing time from young Cardinals bats.

Let's assume Donovan is on the roster at this point. The Cardinals' "regulars" will look something like this:

C Ivan Herrera
1B Alec Burleson
2B Brendan Donovan
3B JJ Wetherholt
SS Masyn Winn
LF Lars Nootbaar
CF Victor Scott II
RF Jordan Walker
DH Nolan Gorman

Even if Herrera is a primary catcher, Pedro Pages and/or Jimmy Crooks will likely catch a lot still, and Herrera would then take the DH spot.

If Donovan is traded, that makes things easier for sure, but if not, balancing opportunities for Gorman, Nootbaar, Walker, Crooks, and Thomas Saggese will take some navigating on the part of manager Oliver Marmol when the roster is at full strength.

Now, we know that injuries will happen, so is it really all that much of a concern? Probably not a huge one. But when push comes to shove, do the Cardinals think that having more opportunity available to players, even if it actually puts the team at a disadvantage on the field, is the better way to develop this core? Or does supplementing this lineup with a veteran, right-handed bat actually help the development of young guys by bettering the team? I see both sides.

If the right bat is willing to come to St. Louis, I say go for it, but the Cardinals need to be ready to move that player to the side if a young player needs an opportunity, even if it means putting the team at a bit of a disadvantage that day. I do think that trying to field a competitive team does positively impact development, so potentially being one of the worst teams in baseball versus left-handed pitching would not be ideal. One bat like Austin Hays or Miguel Andujar doesn't radically change the equation, but it sure does help.