The Cardinals need to stop hitting Paul Goldschmidt cleanup

The offensive struggles have been a focal point of the Cardinals' season, and it's thanks in large part to Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Arenado's power numbers are down, but he is hitting for a respectable average, having finished the first half at .270. Goldschmidt has been showing a few signs of life, but his power and average are both down. He finished the first half with a .230 average and 13 home runs.

The last time the Cardinals made a significant lineup change was in late June when Willson Contreras came back from his arm injury. Goldschmidt had been hitting third and was dropped down to fourth in the lineup. But even then, his numbers leave a lot to be desired.

The 36-year-old is simply striking out too much, especially in key spots. So, it's once again time for the Cardinals to make a lineup change and move Goldschmidt out of the No. 4 spot.

Cardinals need to drop Paul Goldschmidt in the order

I want to make it clear that I've enjoyed watching Goldschmidt in a Cardinals uniform, and this piece is not a shot at him. But like everybody else, I want to see him producing the way he's capable of producing. I don't think he'll ever get back to his MVP form, but he is still capable of producing and coming through in the clutch when he's right of course.

I think we'll likely see 20-25 homers out of Goldschmidt by the end of the season, which is reasonable. He's at 13 now and should have at least a few more left in the tank. But he's not the middle-of-the-order threat that he once was. It's for this reason that I think it would be wise for the Cardinals to drop him down in the order, perhaps to sixth or seventh, possibly even eighth. Here's how I would personally construct the lineup once the team gets back to full strength.

I don't think it does any good to drop Goldschmidt all the way down to the No. 9 spot. But I think sixth or seventh is reasonable. You can still have him back-to-back with Nolan Arenado. While that didn't work earlier in the season, they'd be down lower in the lineup in this scenario, and a new spot in the order could help get Goldschmidt going.

At a certain point, you have to do something different just to shake things up, because that's what's needed. Goldschmidt can't be counted on to be a threat in the heart of the lineup, so it's time for the Cardinals to drop him down a bit. Adding another righty bat at the deadline should also give them some more flexibility.