St. Louis Cardinals: It’s time for Andrew Knizner to shine

The St. Louis Cardinals would be wise to place Andrew Knizner into the starting catcher position.

There’s a reason storybook endings are given their name. While St. Louis Cardinals fans would love to see Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, and Albert Pujols fire on all cylinders in what is likely their final year, that never should have been realistically expected.

Although while Wainwright and Pujols are so far making their denouements look presentable, Molina appears to be cooked.

It’s incredible how long Molina has been able to withstand the rigors of catching nearly every day. He is a surefire hall of famer, who, at his peak, boasted one of the best arms behind the plate of all time. He ascended from a defense-only catcher to one who handled the bat with aplomb. But while we need to appreciate Molina’s accomplishments, it’s finally time to face the facts: Molina is no longer a starting-caliber catcher.

New manager Oliver Marmol, to his credit, seems to be realizing this. Andrew Knizner has taken on a larger role so far this year after serving as Molina’s caddy since 2019, and he’s run with the opportunity.

St Louis Cardinals find success with Andrew Knizner at catcher

It is too early to make a full-season judgment on him or Molina, but the Cardinals’ 5-1 record with Knizner behind the plate compared to the 4-5 record with Molina playing could signify that the pendulum should swing Knizner’s way a bit further.

With Ivan Herrera waiting in the wings as Molina’s expected heir, this is the one season Knizner has to prove himself worthy of remaining on the Cardinals’ roster. If he continues to show that he’s found another gear, he could split work with Herrera next season after Molina is gone.

While Molina has always wanted to play every day, the reality is that he is hurting the team when he is in the lineup. His paltry offensive numbers and sliding defensive numbers leave him having next to no value on the field.

We’ll always have the memories, but Marmol, who I feel has been managing well this year, should continue easing Molina out of the starting spot. The Cardinals have started the season well, and letting Knizner play more is probably the way to keep that going.