The first conversation shared between Nolan Arenado and Mike Shildt happened at a predictable place.
Third base.
Where else?
Back in 2012, Shildt was a Class AA manger climbing his way toward becoming the Cardinals' skipper. Arenado was a Class AA third baseman with the Tulsa Drillers, drilling baseballs and diving for line drives.
In the minors, managers tend to coach third base.
"We played Tulsa like 33 times during the course of the season, and then we played them in the first round of the playoffs, and it went five games," Shildt said by phone Tuesday afternoon. "We would get to talking. We got to know each other. I used to kid him and say, 'Aren't you ever going to take a day off against us?'"
Now Shildt hopes Arenado is ready to play every single game.
"Now," Arenado told Shildt when they talked on the phone Tuesday, "we get to enjoy it together."
Days before Shildt headed to Florida to start preparing for spring training, the manager finally got to celebrate something Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak informed him about as a don't-get-your-hopes-up possibility three to four weeks ago. Arenado was in the works. On Tuesday the third baseman was introduced as a Cardinal. No. 28.
"Obviously super elated," Shildt said. "Happy for our team. Happy for our fans. You're talking about a generational talent we are adding to our club. A proven commodity. A guy who is going to fit in in a lot of ways to what we do, and how we do it."
Figuring out where the elite fielder plays in the field is simple. Third base. Where else?
Determining where to slot Arenado's powerful righthanded swing in the lineup, and which hitters to position around him, is a much more fascinating discussion.
First things first.
How's that powerful righthanded swing?
Arenado says to dismiss any fears about the left shoulder bone bruise that sapped his power in 2020.
"I feel really good again," Arenado said. "I'm not worried about it. Unless something crazy happens. I don't expect this to be a problem in the future."
The injury occurred five games into the 2020 season, when Arenado sprawled out for a grounder hit by former Cardinals outfielder Stephen Piscotty. The dull yet present pain limited Arenado's swing. He played through it, but his slugging percentage suffered. Arenado's career slugging percentage is .541. In 2020 it was .434. Arenado eventually hit the injured list for just the second time in his career, missing the Rockies' final eight games.
"I don't want to make the excuse that it was only because of that, but it wasn't easy playing injured," Arenado said. "It didn't feel good being hurt. I feel like I'm in a better place now. My swing is better. I feel like I can finish high again. I expect to be back to normal and back to who I am. Last year was a tough year. But I know I'm better than that. So, I expect to be."
He should get the benefit of the doubt unless evidence suggests otherwise.
As long as Arenado is healthy and hitting like it, he immediately adds protection for Paul Goldschmidt, decreases pressure on Dylan Carlson and Paul DeJong, and minimizes the risk factor of what happens if up-and-down veterans such as Dexter Fowler and Matt Carpenter are more down than up.
Shildt often has referred to this as the "residual effect" that can occur when a proven producer is installed in the heart of the order. He's no longer talking about it in a hypothetical way. Arenado, starving for postseason success, should inject significant slug into a lineup that entered the past two postseasons with the most meager regular-season slugging percentage of any team in the bracket.
"You want as many solid anchors as you can have, and the more anchors you have the stronger you are," Shildt said. "It takes the strain off the rest of the lineup. It's just nice to have that guy penciled in in the middle, and also know he's making the people around him better."
Nearly 80% of Goldschmidt's career at-bats have come at the No. 3 spot, though he did spend some time at No. 2 in 2019.
More than 77% of Arenado's career at-bats have come in the No. 3 or No. 4 spots. He's been No. 3 more often than No. 4, but his whopping on-base plus slugging percentage is practically the same at cleanup (.924) as it is hitting third (.928)
I think we will see Goldschmidt hitting third and Arenado hitting fourth in Shildt's first Grapefruit League lineup that includes both stars. It's the other spots in which the debate really picks up.
Shildt sees the chance for, "some different combinations at the top of the lineup," and has plans to experiment in Jupiter.
Switch-hitting Tommy Edman could be a leadoff option if he can inch back to the .350 on-base percentage he flashed as a rookie. Switch-hitting Carlson wouldn't flinch at the opportunity; he hit cleanup in the playoffs, after all.
Hear me out here. Harrison Bader has an OPS of .855 against lefthanded pitching since he debuted. Fowler has an OPS of .764 against righthanded pitching since he joined the Cards. It could be worth considering a leadoff platoon approach between those outfielders.
Also fascinating is the undetermined assignment for Carpenter. Everything from designated hitter — if the National League winds up welcoming one as negotiations between players and owners continue — to super sub, to pinch-hitter could be on the table. A lot of that will depend on how Carpenter hits.
"The good news about 'Carp' is that he has versatility in his bag," Shildt said. "He's played second. Third. First. It allows us to be able to maybe give those guys a blow against a tough matchup that may be more favorable to 'Carp.' It allows him an opportunity to play and get his at-bats in different ways."
Shildt says he's focused on putting his hitters in the best spots.
Mozeliak sounds like he might be trying to get Shildt another hitter.
"Simply put, we might not be done," Mozeliak said, though it was hard to tell if he was referencing the inevitable return of catcher Yadier Molina or some other surprise addition. Mozeliak, if you have not noticed, has his swagger back. He's operating in stealth mode, off the radar.
So, be sure to incorporate some flexibility into your pre-spring lineups. Especially entering the up-in-the-air season that is 2021. But when the discussion starts with Goldschmidt and Arenado, the debate gets a lot more fun, doesn't it? You are not the only one enjoying the process.
"The last couple nights I have gone to bed with some lineup thoughts," Shildt said. "I haven't been able to doze off. There's a smile on my face."
