Yes, the Cardinals could put Matt Carpenter there. But that would mean moving your No. 1 hitter who ranked second in the majors with a .398 leadoff onbase percentage in 2013. Is that smart?

Granted, Carpenter would be sliding down only one spot. In theory, he would have more opportunities to drive in runs as a No. 2 hitter — and the Cardinals would still have his high OBP presence at No. 2 in the lineup. If Carpenter largely maintains his 2013 form, he could hit anywhere including at No. 2.

In 200 career plate appearances as a No. 2 hitter, Carpenter has a .375 OBP and .555 SLG. (Small sample.) He would likely do a nice job there, except …

• Who would bat leadoff? Not Peter Bourjos, with his sickly career OBP of .306. And in 219 career plate appearances as leadoff man, Bourjos has a .313 OBP. That isn't nearly good enough to put at the top of the lineup.

• What about rookie second baseman Kolten Wong as a leadoff man? Not yet. Wong needs to show he can become a productive big-league hitter before taking on the crucial responsibility of batting No. 1.