Two Areas The Cardinals May Need To Address At The Trade Deadline

The Outfield

While the offense looks great so far with players such as O'Neill, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, and Juan Yepez doing well in spring training, that doesn't mean that there won't be a need at the deadline.

O'Neill and Carlson both had down seasons in 2022 and dealt with various injuries that hampered their production, so there are still some question marks there. If the projected starters in the outfield underperform during the season, perhaps another big bat could be of use.

I was in the camp that believed the Cardinals should have tried harder for a left-handed bat such as Cody Bellinger or Joey Gallo. Ultimately, they may not have needed a big bat to begin with, but 2023 may be a make-or-break year for both Carlson and O'Neill.

The Cardinals are fortunate to have as much outfield depth as they do, with Oscar Mercado, Moises Gomez, and Alec Burleson in the system. Still, O'Neill and Carlson will need to prove themselves and stay healthy in 2023, and if they don't, the addition of another bat could be in order.