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Five ways the Cardinals can handle their middle infield logjam
The Cardinals have a logjam in their middle infield that could be cleared up five different ways
I think I can speak for everyone in Cardinals Nation when I say that no one expected Paul DeJong to have the year that he is having, and it’s quite honestly very impressive. DeJong is currently slashing a line of .289/.366/.627 with 8 HR to his name, which is tied for 2nd among SS across the league, only behind Bo Bichette. The 29-year-old has shown that he can put up these numbers, with an All-Star season in 2019, tallying 30 home runs.
With DeJong playing at an All-Star level, this raises a plethora of questions for the managers and front office this offseason and the foreseeable future. It puts a lot of pressure on the front office to make the right decision on who will play in the future. The middle infield for the Cardinals is crowded, with players like Donovan, Edman, and Gorman all proving that they deserve everyday at-bats, along with the #38 prospect (according to MLB.com), Masyn Winn, knocking on the door to play in the majors next year. It begs the question of who’s going to play.
This allows for many different options and routes that the front office can take to make room for Winn when he comes up, or will Cardinals fans even see Winn in a Cardinals jersey when he makes his MLB debut? Will Edman or Donovan be traded? Will DeJong be traded while his stock is high? Will OF be traded to make room for Edman or Donovan to play? Many variables will have to be answered to clear the murky waters that is the Cardinals' middle infield situation. Here are the options I think the Cardinals have for clearing the waters in the middle infield.
1. Trade Paul DeJong
One option that the Cardinals could explore would be packaging DeJong in a trade for a starting pitcher, which the Cardinals desperately need. DeJong's stock price couldn't be any higher at the moment, so this could serve as leverage for the Cardinals in a trade
Teams that come to mind when considering a trade for a SS would be teams like the Mariners, where pitchers like Logan Gilbert could be available. The Marlins could also be an option, with pitchers like Jesus Lezardo potentially being available. Lastly, the Guardians, who are currently struggling, could be sellers at the deadline, making Shane Bieber a possible target for the Cardinals.
Trading DeJong would open up a middle infield spot for Winn next year while allowing Edman to remain in that role for the rest of the year. The Cardinals would most likely keep Gorman in the DH spot (unless Contreras isn't catching that day) and use Donovan as a utility man. While DeJong's bat hasn't been any hotter, it would provide the Cardinals with leverage in trading.
2. Trade Masyn Winn
The Cardinals seem to love DeJong; he has been kept in the organization since being drafted in 2015, and it wouldn't be a shock if the Cardinals left him in the shortstop position. This would then leave no spot for the highly regarded prospect Masyn Winn and would most likely end up in Winn getting traded.
While the Cardinals have had a rough history with trading prospects, with examples like Zac Gallen, Randy Arozarena, Adolis Garcia, and Sandy Alcantara being traded away, it might be an option that the Cardinals could explore to not keep Winn down in the minors. Winn is the Cardinals' #2 prospect according to MLB.com, only behind Walker, of course, and would provide a lot of options for the Cardinals to be able to trade.
The 2nd round pick in 2020 for the Cardinals is hitting only .234 with an OPS of .683 but showed promise in the spring this year. While not really regarded for his bat, he made his name when he threw 100.5 mph across the diamond in the minor league futures game, which caught a lot of eyes. He has gold glove fielding capability, which leaves the front office to make a decision on what they decide to do with Masyn Winn.
3. Trade Dylan Carlson and Tyler O'Neill, move Paul DeJong to 2B
While this doesn't favor the fielding as much as it does the offense, this could be another option for the Cardinals to help with the logjam of the middle infield. This would leave Edman to play SS for the rest of the season and move DeJong to 2B to keep his hot bat in the lineup while keeping Gorman in the DH position.
Donovan has shown promise in the outfield by making game-saving catches in left field, and trading Carlson along with O'Neill would be a good starting point for a trade package for starting pitching. This also leaves room for the #1 Cardinals prospect and #1 MLB.com prospect in all of baseball, Jordan Walker, to come up and fill the OF role.
The only problem that comes with this move is the massive downgrade that occurs in the fielding department. With Carlson and O'Neill being marginally better in the OF than Walker, it would result in a downgrade in the defensive department for the Cardinals.
4. Trade Tommy Edman or Brendan Donovan
Trading Edman or Donovan could also be the route that the Cardinals take in order to make room for the middle infield. This would most likely result in DeJong taking the SS role for the rest of the season and possibly being traded or moved to 2B after this season is over to make room for Winn.
Donovan or Edman would most likely be packaged with O'Neill or Carlson if they were traded for a pitcher, which the Cardinals desperately need. The most likely option to get traded is Donovan, as Edman provides the same utility and has shown to be the better bat this season.
Donovan and Edman's value is really high due to their utility in the field, but of course, that is what the Cardinals will lose if they are given away. Edman and Donovan have played practically everywhere this season, with the number of injuries that the Cardinals have faced in the OF, and have not shown any issues in playing these positions so far this year.
5. Do nothing
Lastly, what Cardinals fans have seen a lot in the past is that they will simply do nothing. This could seem like the option, as DeJong could eventually regress, leaving the easy choice of benching DeJong and bringing up Winn to play SS. This would leave Edman at 2B most likely, Gorman in the DH role, and Donovan in the super-utility role.
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This seems like the most viable option for the Cardinals, as DeJong has shown to be a super streaky hitter and could simply be on one of his hot streaks. While it still seems like one of the Cardinals' outfielders may be traded for a pitcher of need, DeJong could easily stay on the team, and with Winn, Edman, Goldschmidt, and Arenado, the Cardinals could possibly have the best fielding infield in the MLB.
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