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3 ways to fix the Cardinals struggling offense as right now
The St. Louis Cardinals have all of the pieces to be a top offense, but their lineup is sputtering right now. Here are three ways they can fix that right now.
The St. Louis Cardinals are 9-10 entering their weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and oddly enough, it's been their pitching and defense that has carried them to wins so far. Their OPS ranks 24th in all of baseball, with significant bats like Paul Goldschmidt, Jordan Walker, and Nolan Gorman not producing to begin the year.
I believe the Cardinals have all of the pieces necessary to have a top offense in baseball and the fact that they are almost .500 when the strength of their team has not been living up to its billing. Even so, the team needs its offense to get on track as soon as possible, and it may be worth making some significant changes to make it happen.
Here are three changes I believe could spark the offense right now while the big bats work on getting things right.
Fix #1 - Move Lars Nootbaar to center field
I understand the Cardinals have been resistant to the idea of moving Lars Nootbaar to center field, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Victor Scott II and Michael Siani are both hitting below .100 right now. If the top hitters in the Cardinals lineup were producing like they should right now, that really wouldn't matter all that much. But while things are the way they are, the Cardinals may need to sacrifice some defense to get more runs on the board.
The Cardinals' defense has taken major steps forward this year, and I understand why people don't want to mess with that. It's also fair to be worried that Nootbaar's health could be at risk if he's flying around center field every day. Here's why I think it's worth the risk:
1. Letting Nootbaar play center field for the time being is not a long-term commitment. Scott and Siani in center field are not the sole reasons the team's defense has gotten a lot better. Winn playing shortstop every day, Nolan Arenado getting back to himself defensively, the continued strides from Nolan Gorman at second base, and Jordan Walker's improvements in right field are a big part of the defense taking a step forward. I don't think Nootbaar in center field would destabilize that, and if it somehow did, there's nothing stopping them from switching back immediately.
2. Nootbaar has been prone to those weird injuries, and helping him avoid them is certainly important. But if he can't find a way to stay healthy for the next month while they wait for Carlson or Edman to return, that's a bigger issue in itself.
Moving Nootbaar to center field also allows the Cardinals to fit another significant bat into their lineup each day, something I'll address next.
Fix #2 - Play Ivan Herrera every day
Ever since Nootbaar came back, the conversation has been "How can the Cardinals keep Ivan Herrera in the lineup?". Well, without Nootbaar in center field, it's not really possible outside of sitting one of Gorman, Walker, or Donovan. Well, moving Nootbaar to center field allows for a new arrangement and gets Herrera's bat into the lineup.
Herrera or Contreras can be the designated hitter each day while the other one catches, Donovan plays left field, and Nootbaar is in center. There'll be days when one of Scott or Siani plays in center or Donovan is needed to fill in along the infield, so they'll still need to move guys around. But with the way Herrera's bat has played (.811 OPS, 4th on the team this year), they really need his bat each day, at least until some of their other bats get going.
There really isn't a ton of risk with playing both catchers most days. If some kind of injury were to happen to the guy behind the plate, the one who is DHing that day can slide to catcher, and they just have to play classic National League baseball for the rest of that game and figure out if they need to recall Pages for the next game.
I'll say this again as well, this is not a long-term plan I am coming up with. Sure, it could develop into the way the Cardinals structure their lineup each day if it's clear that it makes them the best team possible, but assuming their other bats get going at some point, they can decrease some of Herrera's playing time, move Nootbaar back to left field, and reprioritize some defense again as needed. The goal is always to have a lineup that can be as predictable as possible for a manager, but when your team is not producing like it needs to, you have to get creative.
Speaking of getting creative, the next change has been suggested by many fans, and might actually need to happen in the near future.
Fix #3 - Swap Masyn Winn and Paul Goldschmidt's spots in the order, if Goldschmidt does not heat up this weekend
I do not blame Oli Marmol one bit for keeping Paul Goldschmidt in the number two holes through this point in the season. If Goldschmidt was on any other team or the Cardinals had a different manager, I do not believe they would have moved Goldschmidt down yet either. But with how bad things are going for him at the plate and how much the Cardinals need offense, it's almost time to consider it.
I would say it's fair to see how this series with the Brewers goes first. Goldschmidt was the National League Most Valuable Player in 2022, was arguably the club's best hitter in 2023, and may even be a future Hall of Famer. You don't have a quick hook for a player like that. But if April 22nd comes around and Goldschmidt is still struggling like he is right now, the Cardinals need to give someone else a chance to hit near the top of the order.
Right now, Masyn Winn is swinging one of the hottest bats on the team, and I think he'd be the perfect player to swap with Goldschmidt in the order. Winn has a .404 OBP, .347 batting average, and his ability to change the game with his speed all make him a threat hitting in front of their big bats. Winn also has the fourth-highest OPS on the team when runners are in scoring position, so he's been clutch to this point as well.
If Goldschmidt struggles this weekend, I propose moving him down in the order and shifting Nootbaar to center field, resulting in lineups that look like this:
vs. RHP
1. LF Brendan Donovan
2. SS Masyn Winn
3. CF Lars Nootbaar
4. 3B Nolan Arenado
5. C Willson Contreras
6. 2B Nolan Gorman
7. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
8. DH Ivan Herrera
9. RF Jordan Walker
vs. LHP
1. LF Brendan Donovan
2. SS Masyn Winn
3. C Willson Contreras
4. 3B Nolan Arenado
5. 2B Nolan Gorman
6. DH Ivan Herrera
7. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
8. CF Lars Nootbaar
9. RF Jordan Walker
That lineup looks extremely promising. I know Walker has struggled this year, but can you think of a guy with a higher upside hitting ninth for any team in baseball? The names and the order can change based on who's hitting and who's not, but that nine-man group, offensively speaking, would be a nightmare to deal with for opposing pitchers.
The Cardinals need to spark their offense as soon as possible, and stacking the deck in their favor like this could be a massive step toward doing so.
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