The Matt Carpenter second base experiment illustrates the St. Louis Cardinals' desperation, but that's okay

The St. Louis Cardinals are so desperate for a second baseman in 2013—that is, one who can outhit Daniel Descalso—that the Post-Dispatch reports Matt Carpenter, their all-purpose veteran-replacement last year, will be focusing on second base in the offseason. This is the second time in five years that the Cardinals have tried to convert a bench bat into a middle infielder, which suggests that they should probably consider signing and developing actual second basemen in the future.

But while Kolten Wong develops, that it's desperate doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad idea. Descalso's an average glove and a below-average bat; Skip Schumaker's a non-issue; and that's pretty much the end of the list. Wong, meanwhile, hit .287/.348/.405 in AA Springfield, which is probably worse than you remember him hitting.

Carpenter hit .294/.365/.463 in the major leagues last year, for an OPS+ of 125. He probably won't be a good second baseman, but if he can be as bad as Skip Schumaker or Dan Uggla are even an OPS+ of 110 could make him a useful starter.