Cardinals could move Matt Carpenter from leadoff spot

The St. Louis Cardinals could field a different lineup next season without adding a single free agent.

General manager John Mozeliak said Thursday he has discussed with manager Mike Matheny the possibility of bumping Matt Carpenter down from his traditional leadoff spot in an effort to bolster his club's offense.

“One thing we have talked a little about is when you think about optimizing your lineup, what does that do for Carp?” Mozeliak said. “And clearly he’s been so successful in the one hole. He gets on base and along with that all of the positives of a leadoff hitter. But moving him deeper into that lineup is something that Mike has thought about in terms of implementing. It’s just he and I talking out loud right now."

Carpenter enjoyed another fine season atop the Cardinals' lineup, posting a .375 on-base percentage with a career-best 13.4 percent walk rate while collecting 43 extra-base hits over 158 games. The 28-year-old's strong contact skills and underwhelming speed, however, could make him an attractive candidate to hit lower in the lineup next season.

“The great thing about Matt is he does give you flexibility,” Mozeliak said. “I do think we’ll have more flexibility for our lineup overall if we want to do something.”