3 ways to fix the Cardinals struggling offense as 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 #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.