A veteran catcher the St. Louis Cardinals should consider pursuing

Stephen Vogt is a catcher the St. Louis Cardinals should consider pursuing. His cheap asking price and veteran presence would be perfect.

Relief pitching. Starting pitching. Infield depth. All of those are needs for the St. Louis Cardinals that we have covered extensively.

But what about another catcher? It’s not the most pressing need for the Cardinals – they have Yadier Molina and Andrew Knizner – but Molina is entering the last season of his career and will need to be kept fresh as they hope to make a deep postseason run. Knizner, meanwhile, remains a relative unknown and has never spent meaningful time behind the plate in the regular season.

Stephen Vogt has, and if the Cardinals are looking for a cheap, veteran option behind the plate, Vogt would be perfect. He has long been regarded as a future manager by his peers and even then, has remained an impactful option – both on and off the field.

Vogt, 37, has struggled offensively in the last couple seasons, but is a strong presence behind the plate who knows how to control a pitching staff. He would be similar to Molina in that regard and also be another veteran presence in the clubhouse, something the Cardinals could use with a new manager at the helm.

What kind of contract could Vogt expect? A one-year deal worth the veterans minimum. It’s a cheap, no-risk contract that could pay significant dividends. Multiple Atlanta Braves players praised Vogt during their World Series run for his contributions behind the scenes. Just imagine having that presence, along with Molina and Adam Wainwright’s, inside the Cardinals’ clubhouse.

It can only mean good things. Maybe the Cardinals go in a different direction and prefer having two catchers on the roster. But if they want to go with three, Vogt would be a very good choice, and a cheap one at that.