An infield bat is a bigger need than an outfield bat for the Cardinals

The Cardinals know that they've got their work cut out for them this year at the trade deadline. Their biggest needs are right-handed hitting and a starting pitcher who can take the ball in Game 2 of a playoff series behind Sonny Gray.

I've said it before, but I think offense is a bigger need for the Cardinals than pitching, at least as of now. We'll see if that changes when Tommy Edman comes back. But we've heard a lot about how the Cardinals need that right-handed outfield bat. While I agree that a bat is needed from the right side, I actually believe that the Cardinals would be better served looking at an infield bat instead of an outfield bat.

Cardinals need an infield bat more than an outfield bat

I understand that there could be a need in the outfield because we don't know what the Cardinals are going to get from Edman. However, give me a chance to convince you otherwise. I believe I have a decent argument for this one.

The main reason for my thinking on this issue is that the Cardinals already have a ton of outfielders. Alec Burleson is getting more playing time, Lars Nootbaar is back, and Brendan Donovan has performed well in left field. At the same time, they have Michael Siani as the fourth outfield option when Edman comes back, plus Dylan Carlson, Jordan Walker, and Victor Scott II are still in the system.

Based on that alone, it seems clear that no more outfielders are needed. The Cardinals simply have too many. Sure, they could look to trade Carlson and alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but that still leaves a lot of outfielders in the system and nowhere to put some of them unless an injury takes place.

Secondly, the main issues for the Cardinals' offense exist among the corner infielders, namely Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Both of them have had subpar seasons to date. Arenado can't find his power stroke, and Goldschmidt is struggling to hit for average.

For this reason, it would be better to find someone who can play one of the corner infield positions or move Burleson to first base and have the new addition serve as the designated hitter. This is why I'm mildly interested in guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Justin Turner. They may not be everyday players immediately, but they could be plugged into the lineup if Goldy and Arenado continue to struggle. In this way, the Cardinals can get some of the offensive help they need.