How can the St. Louis Cardinals find playing time for all of their runway players?

I don't envy Oliver Marmol.

Managers throughout baseball often field their most competitive lineup each day, barring injuries. This is a two-fold strategy: They want to help their team and organization win, but they also want to protect their jobs. Playing your best players, at least in theory, should accomplish both goals.

Oli Marmol hasn't been able to field his most competitive lineup each day.

In a year where the organization wants to see which players who are currently on the roster can be contributors for the next few years, Marmol is being slightly handcuffed with whom he can play on a daily basis. He can't simply ride the hot hand or play matchups as often as he would have in his last three years of managing the St. Louis Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals' desire to both contend and develop players in 2025 is creating a shortage of playing time for several young players.

Players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Lars Nootbaar were all supposed to get chances to prove their value this year. We knew that Nolan Arenado, Masyn Winn, and Willson Contreras would get their regular reps; they've earned that much in their careers. Victor Scott II had a strong spring training, and his plus defense in center field is hard to turn away. Pedro Pages is the preferred catcher for both Marmol and the pitching staff.

Alec Burleson (115 OPS+) and Ivan Herrera (159 OPS+) have since entered their names as players who have earned regular reps.

How can Oli Marmol make a consistent lineup with several players who need to see regular at-bats?

Well, that's the million-dollar question.

Marmol provided an answer to that question at the end of the Cardinals' torrid May. The odd man out at that point was Nolan Gorman, who had a .189 batting average and a .583 OPS. It was logical to play Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker more frequently than Gorman. Brendan Donovan's ability to play multiple positions also benefited Marmol, as he could leave the outfield untouched with Lars Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, and Jordan Walker, with Alec Burleson as the designated hitter.

Things have been different during the month of June, though. Jordan Walker's injury at the start of the month should have opened up playing time for Nolan Gorman, but the Cardinals hit a lefty alley of pitchers in their opponents, so Gorman became relegated due to split-related purposes — something I was vehemently against at the time.

Jordan Walker is now back and healthy, and Nolan Gorman is starting to heat up. Since June 1st, Nolan Gorman is slashing .344/.432/.688 with a 211 wRC+, 3 home runs, 13.5% BB rate, 27% K rate, and a .344 ISO. He's been an excellent hitter this month, and he's earned more starts.

What are some solutions to these logjams?

Perhaps the easiest solution would be to move Ivan Herrera to the club's full-time catcher. The primary knock on Herrera has been his lackluster defense throughout the year. His arm speed has dropped slightly this year, and his pop time to second base is a bit slower as well, but his exchange speed has improved marginally. His pop time to third base is also slightly improved compared to last year. If he can correct his flaws on the defensive side of the ball, Herrera's bat can play at catcher.

This move to catcher for Herrera frees up designated hitter spots for Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman.

Another change that could be made for the foreseeable future would be shifting Lars Nootbaar to center field. This isn't an ideal defensive lineup, but Nolan Gorman can slot in at second base while Brendan Donovan plays in left field. Alec Burleson can be the designated hitter on days that Ivan Herrera isn't, and he can play right field to give Jordan Walker a spell.

The 3D chess that Oliver Marmol has to play on a nightly basis is no easy task. He must placate his bosses by focusing on runway for youngsters while simultaneously appeasing win-hungry fans who are focused on the here and now. Lineup construction is difficult on any given day, but it's especially intricate for Marmol and the Cardinals now.