Derek Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in a lengthy chat with readers that “other teams have also inquired” about many of the receivers in the Cardinals organization. No specific names mentioned, but starting as a teenager jimmy crooksand Leonard Bernal Looking pretty untouchable at the moment, Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pagesand Jorge Pozzo are varying degrees of more likely trade candidates.
While the Cards’ offseason focus will be on moving veteran talent and creating opportunities for younger players, the breadth of this rebuild means President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom will likely explore every possible avenue to upgrade the roster. Given this youth movement, it’s a safe bet that Bernal and Crooks aren’t going anywhere unless Broome pulls off a relatively rare prospect-for-prospect swap. The Cardinals could conceivably package one of their own rookie players with a more valuable veteran (i.e. Nolan Arenado, sonny gray) to convince rival clubs to accept a higher salary, but trading a well-respected rookie just to save money is unlikely unless the other team also offers a good rookie package that more broadly addresses the Cards’ needs.
MLB Pipeline ranks Bernal as the 92nd best prospect in baseball and the fourth best prospect in the St. Louis farm system. As Gould noted, the Cardinals had to add him to the 40-man roster to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft, so the addition of Bernal would give the Cardinals five backers on their 40-man roster. Gould said Pozzo would be the odd man out and would likely be designated for assignment and then re-signed to a minor league contract with the Cardinals. Such a move would free up a 40-man spot for St. Louis while retaining Pozo, although a trade or waiver claim is possible in that case.
Crooks ranks sixth among Cardinals prospects and is outside Pipeline’s league-wide top 100, although he has received some top-100 attention this year in Baseball Prospectus and Fangraphs. Crooks also made his MLB debut this season, but batted just .133/.152/.244 in the program’s first 46 games. His hitting was much better in the minors (including a .274/.337/.441 slash line in 430 PA in Triple-A), but Crooks was generally viewed as a glove-first type of catcher.
In addition to the duo, the Cardinals have Rainier RodriguezThe 18-year-old finished the season in high-A ball, ranking No. 55 on Pipeline’s top 100 list. It’s not hard to lump Rodriguez, Bernal, and Crooks into the “catcher of the future” category, which naturally raises questions about how the Cards will approach the catchers currently on their major league roster.
It is worth noting that Herrera, Page and Poso are not experienced veterans. Herrera isn’t arbitration-eligible until next offseason, giving him control until 2029 and Pages’ control until 2030. If Pozo is potentially DFA material, that alone could go some way toward solving the backlog, but could the Cardinals go one step further and get Herrera or Pages to create playing time for Crooks?
Describing Herrera as a catcher itself may be a controversial topic, as he has only appeared in 14 games this season. Herrera is out with a bone bruise in his left knee and a grade-two hamstring strain, and is also scheduled to undergo offseason surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow. Those health issues led the Cardinals to make Herrera their primary backstop, and he also made a few cameos in left field.
The team’s plan is to let Herrera recuperate in the offseason and then return as a viable receiver again in spring training. Even before Herrera’s injury-plagued 2025 season, there were questions about his ability to be a catcher long-term, but there was no doubt he could hit. Herrera is hitting .284/.373/.464 with 19 home runs in 452 games this year, and his 137 wRC+ ranks 16th in the league among players with at least 450 PA.
It seems unlikely for Bloom to move such a powerful and controllable bat so early in the rebuilding process unless significant assets can be obtained in return. If the Cardinals still have concerns about Herrera’s defense, that could leave a crack at a possible trade, but it’s a fair guess that Herrera is far behind on Broome’s list of potential trade pieces.
Page ends up being the Cards’ primary receiver in 2025, and his profile is essentially the opposite of Herrera’s. Page has just a .233/.275/.368 career PA in the majors, but aside from his blocking work, he’s an excellent defender in every aspect of catching the ball. However, this may appeal to clubs looking to improve their behind-the-plate glove work Yadier Molina‘s shadow has long lingered in St. Louis, and the Cardinals themselves have long prioritized having a strong receiver defense.
