The St. Louis Cardinals’ current lineup sends a strong message to Paul Goldschmidt.
On Saturday, the St. Louis Cardinals split a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves in an NL Wild Card game, with little help from Paul Goldschmidt. The Cardinals’ first baseman hasn’t looked like himself this season, and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time for him or St. Louis. Goldy is in his contract year and is a cornerstone of this Cardinals generation.
Goldschmidt has gone 0 for 12 in a row and has not had a hit since July 13, courtesy to the All-Star break. The facts don’t favor putting Goldschmidt near the top of the lineup, as his July slump has dropped his average to.226. According to John Denton, with runners in scoring position this season, Goldschmidt has only two extra-base hits. He’s hitting.169, with two home runs and 21 RBI.
Goldy has spent parts of the 2024 season in both the two-hole and cleanup roles. Curt Bishop of Redbird Rands proposed on Saturday that it was time for another change:
“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…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,” Bishop wrote.
Perhaps the Cardinals were listening. St. Louis unveiled a new lineup on Sunday, with Goldschmidt starting at seventh.
New St. Louis Cardinals lineup after Paul Goldschmidt move
Manager Oli Marmol and the Cardinals hope that moving Goldschmidt down the lineup sends a message and possibly wakes up his bat. St. Louis must prioritize more opportunities for its hotter bats, including Winn and Burleson, among others.
|
St. Louis Cardinals lineup |
Position |
|---|---|
|
Masyn Winn |
Shortstop |
|
Alec Burleson |
Designated Hitter |
|
Willson Contreras |
Catcher |
|
Brendan Donovan |
Left Fielder |
|
Nolan Arenado |
Third Baseman |
|
Lars Nootbaar |
Right Fielder |
|
Paul Goldschmidt |
First Baseman |
|
Nolan Gorman |
Second Baseman |
|
Michael Siani |
Center Fielder
|
The Cardinals sit five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, but only one game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates in third place. The NL Wild Card race is also much closer following Saturday’s games, with the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks tied for third place by a half-game over the Pirates.
