The offseason is in full swing.
The Winter Meetings are set to begin on Monday.
The phones will be ringing and front office executives will be busy.
For the St. Louis Cardinals, there is a clear need for offense.
First, the team needs a catcher to replace Yadier Molina.
Two potential candidates to fill the hole left by the future Hall-of-Famer’s departure are Christian Vazquez and Tucker Barnhart.
But that won’t be enough to give the team the offensive boost it needs.
Offensive struggles have cost the Cards dearly in past postseasons.
One insider called for more activity beyond simply the addition of a catcher.
Here’s the thing: The #STLCards can reload at catcher with a defense first player like Tucker Barnhart or Christian Vazquez. But that can’t be the only move when it comes to hitting. This team has come up short in the postseason due to a lack of run production. Fix it.
— Sports Buffa (@STLSportsDesk) December 2, 2022
Cards Insider Calls For More Offense
The Cardinals offense saw notable improvement from 2021, finishing in the top five in the National League in runs scored.
However, the bats went silent in their Wild Card Series loss to the eventual National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.
If St. Louis wants to advance past the Wild Card round for the first time since 2019, extra offense will be needed.
The team is targeting a middle-of-the-order bat to replace the production of Pujols, a left-handed bat in particular.
Andrew Benintendi, Brandon Belt, Brandon Nimmo, and Josh Bell could fit the bill for the Cardinals.
St. Louis won the NL Central by seven games over the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.
But with the division being relatively weak, the Cardinals will need a little bit more to challenge teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves.
An increase in activity is expected in the coming weeks.
NEXT: MLB Insider Provides Update On Cardinals Pitching Situation