What would a dream Cardinals starting lineup look like next season?
By Tim Boyle
A look at what a dream St. Louis Cardinals starting lineup would look like in 2023.
The 2022 National League Central-winning St. Louis Cardinals are already well-positioned to make a nice run in 2023. The Cardinals starting lineup will once again feature two of the top three MVP finishers including the winner over at first base, Paul Goldschmidt.
It’s a fantastic place to start. How do they add to it?
The Cardinals do have a few holes and places to upgrade. Rather than wait for some of the kids to develop further, tackling free agency in a major way could help them create the dream Cardinals lineup by Opening Day 2023.
1) Dream Cardinals starting lineup: Trea Turner bats first, SS
Trea Turner is probably the best fit among the free agent shortstops for the Cardinals. They have enough bats for the middle of the order where someone like Xander Bogaerts or Carlos Correa typically hit. It’s at the top where the Cardinals can get very dangerous.
Turner is drawing plenty of interest around the league. A consistent hitter who seems to be developing into less of a leadoff man and more of a run-producer, he’s an incredible weapon for St. Louis to add to the roster.
The Cardinals do already have several shortstop options. Fans will unanimously agree Paul DeJong is not the answer. Up the middle, Brendan Donovan is a candidate to play second base with Tommy Edman at shortstop. Prospect Masyn Winn is also a candidate for the shortstop job in the future.
As far as 2023 goes, the Cardinals can’t do much better than signing Turner. Their plethora of shortstop options can be sent elsewhere to improve other parts of the roster at the trade deadline. In the meantime, infield depth will be a very good thing to hold onto.