3 ways to fix the Cardinals struggling offense as right now

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.