Predicting the Cardinals’ Infield

As the Houston Astros just threw a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies (who eliminated us) in the World Series, St. Louis Cardinals fans are already thinking about 2023. It is easy to say, “That should be us,” but it is time to look to the future.

Today, we are diving into what the infield for the Cardinals should look like going into Opening Day in 2023. Let’s stop wasting time and get right to it.

The Corners

This section of the article is going to be the most obvious thing ever written. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt will start at the corners of the infield heading into next year. Both of these players will likely finish top-two in NL MVP voting and they will remain one of the most dangerous duos in the league.

A week ago, we did not have a clear answer about who would start at third base next year. Thankfully, Arenado did not waste much time and opted into his contract with the Redbirds. Don’t worry fans, you can wear that Arenado jersey with pride for many more years to come. On Tuesday, Arenado was awarded his 10th straight Gold Glove, and he aims to make it 11.

It still does not sit right that Goldschmidt went ice cold to end the season. He was virtually nonexistent in October and finished his MVP season on a low note. With a new hitting coach and a huge chip on his shoulder, expect another monster season from Goldy.

Middle Infield

With a lot of big names on the market at shortstop, who should the St. Louis Cardinals go after? Certainly, they should go after Trea Turner or Carlos Correra, right? No, we have our shortstop for now and years to come. Tommy Edman needs to be our everyday shortstop next season.

The Cardinals need to spend their money wisely this winter, and it would be foolish to go after a star shortstop when we have many bigger holes to fill. Edman was robbed of a Gold Glove, but Cardinals fans know just how valuable his glove is. Forget about game one of the NL Wild Card series; Oliver Marmol put him in a weird spot, and it was a very tough play anyways.

Things start to get a little dicey when we look toward the second base position. There are decisions to be made, but our second baseman will be somebody playing in their second MLB season.

Will Nolan Gorman or Brendan Donovan get the everyday nod, or will it be more of a committee? I believe that Marmol will challenge both of these guys to see who wants it more, but Donovan will eventually claim the job. Donovan was also named a Gold Glover as a utility player in just his rookie season. He exceeded expectations, and the sky is the limit for this very versatile player.

Most of the questions with the Cardinals stem outside of the infield. We could make a splash and trade for a top outfielder, or we can stick with what we already have. Expect another starting pitcher to be in the rotation, and expect him to be throwing to anybody but Andrew Knizner. We have many decisions to make, but we all need to breathe a sigh of relief that Arenado is back.