3 internal fixes that could get the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup going

The St. Louis Cardinals are a season-high five games below the .500 mark after Monday night's loss to the New York Mets. Once again, the main culprit is their struggling offense.

Despite the struggles, the Cardinals have done nothing but tell their fans to be patient and continually stress that the offense is just about to get going, yet they are last in the National League in home runs and runs scored.

Things are going to need to change one way or another. It may be too early for trades to be made, but here are three internal fixes the Cardinals can make that might get the bats going.

3. Move Masyn Winn to the top

Masyn Winn has been one of the few bright spots offensively for the Cardinals. He's cooled off a bit, but he has earned every opportunity to be the table-setter for St. Louis. The 22-year-old is hitting .265 with seven RBI and a .690 OPS.

Last year, Winn's bat didn't come around, but his offseason work to become a better hitter appears to have paid off. He has taken the starting shortstop job and run with it after a strong spring training.

Things have gotten so bad for the Cardinals that they ended up using Jose Fermin at the top of the lineup in Monday night's loss to the Mets, and while he recorded a few hits, that's not something the Cardinals can do with any degree of regularity.

This is why it makes sense for them to give Winn a shot to be the leadoff man for the time being and see if it ultimately gets the bats going. The team can't contend unless the bats wake up, but having Winn at the top could prove to be the difference in their potential turnaround.

2. Give Matt Carpenter regular at-bats

Matt Carpenter only appeared in a few games before hitting the injured list with an oblique issue. Fortunately, he appears to be close to returning.

In his first 10 at-bats, Carpenter is hitting .300, which is an encouraging sign for the Cardinals as he nears his return. But having him start at second base for the time being once he comes back could help shake things up.

Carpenter obviously was not intended to be an everyday player, but Nolan Gorman has not performed up to par and it's time for the Cardinals to try something different.

The 38-year-old is a professional hitter who has been around a long time and understands the ebbs and flows of the game. Regardless of his role, he should help the Cardinals' lineup improve a little bit, as he gives manager Oli Marmol some more options and the ability to be flexible with his lineup.

At this point, the Cardinals are desperate for an offensive spark, and while Carpenter isn't the All-Star caliber player he once was, he is somebody who could make a difference for the team as they navigate these rough waters and look for chances to break out.

1. Start Alec Burleson over Paul Goldschmidt

Out of everybody in the Cardinals' lineup, no player has been more disappointing than Paul Goldschmidt.

The 36-year-old isn't far removed from his MVP season in 2022 but just isn't putting up the same numbers. In his first 128 at-bats, he is hitting just .203 with only two home runs, 11 RBI, and a miserable .570 OPS.

Unfortunately, it appears that Goldschmidt has begun to decline, and it's likely time to remove him from the starting lineup for the foreseeable future.

Alec Burleson hasn't exactly set the world on fire, but with regular at-bats, he could be a difference-maker. He doesn't exactly have a spot in the outfield, even with Tommy Edman injured. But he can be used as the starting first baseman for the time being.

The 25-year-old appears to have made some important strides after showing promise in 2023. He brings power from the left side and could be somebody who makes a difference until Goldschmidt figures things out.

At this point, the Cardinals need to try anything in order to get the bats going, but pulling Goldschmidt from the starting lineup might be the best call for now.