The St. Louis Cardinals have entered the 2022-23 offseason with a couple of items to check off of their to-do list after the departures of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.
One of those items is an impact bat.
The Cardinals offense got a huge boost from a dominant second half on behalf of Pujols.
With him gone, St. Louis finds themselves in need of a big bat to replace him.
Where that bat could come from is still unknown, but one MLB analyst seems to think that Dansby Swanson could fill that role.
The 28-year-old is one of the premier shortstops available on the free agent market, and while the Cardinals have made it clear that they trust Tommy Edman to man the position, Swanson could be a fit.
St. Louis hasn't been mentioned as prominently as some other teams as potential landing spots for Dansby Swanson if the shortstop doesn't re-sign w/ the #Braves. But the Cardinals make a lot of sense for him, in terms of their needs, his personality, team culture, the whole thing
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 22, 2022
Swanson’s Fit in St. Louis
Swanson has earned a Gold Glove Award and a World Series ring and has also been an All-Star.
At the plate, he posted a .277 batting average and hit 25 home runs in 640 at-bats, while also posting a WAR of 5.7.
So in terms of an impact bat, Swanson could be just what St. Louis needs, despite President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak stating that Edman would be the shortstop.
If he could be lured in by the Cardinals, the move would allow either Edman or Rookie of the Year finalist Brendan Donovan to shift to a full-time outfield role.
At the end of the day, while it looks as if the Cardinals likely will not target a shortstop, Swanson could end up being the big bat that they need in their lineup to replace Pujols.
NEXT: Cardinals Fan Reminisces Over Special Albert Pujols Moment