3 things the Cardinals need to figure out during their final month of the season

I can't believe it is already September. The St. Louis Cardinals have just one month of baseball remaining in their first year of the Chaim Bloom era, and while it's been a successful season as a whole, they still have questions lingering that need answering.

September will be a crucial month for Bloom and his team to evaluate their roster, prepare for the offseason, and set the Cardinals up to be a fun and even more competitive team in 2027. In order to do so, they really need answers to these three questions down the stretch.

#1 - What does the Cardinals' catching situation look like moving forward?

With Leo Bernal set to make his Major League debut and Jimmy Crooks heading back to Memphis, the Cardinals have done a significant shake-up to their catching position once again, and how those two, alongside Ivan Herrera, finish the season should have a major impact on how they handle the position moving forward.

Bernal is the most well-rounded profile of the group, a switch-hitting catcher who can do damage at the plate while playing the best defense of the trio as well. He was recently voted by minor league managers the best defensive catcher at Triple-A, and he won the MiLB Gold Glove for the position last year. Now he'll have the chance to show the MLB staff what he can do at the big league level.

Ivan Herrera has been very dissapointing at the plate this year, regressing to just 9% above-league average at the plate after being one of the best right-handed hitters in the game the last few years. It's hard not to look at how much he's been catching and wonder if that workload has contributed to his decline, but we won't truly know until next season. Still, if Herrera can turn it back on at the plate this month, that should ease concerns a bit.

Herrera is not a good defensive catcher yet, and his arm behind the plate is the worst in baseball. He's going to need to improve big time over the offseason to have a real shot at catching long-term, and more importantly, the Cardinals need him to figure out how to get his offense going again.

And then there are Crooks and Pedro Pages, one of whom is on his way back to Memphis while the other barely plays anymore. I think it's likely that Pages is dealt this offseason, but I wouldn't rule that out for Crooks either, who should still carry value around the league. Rainiel Rodriguez is coming, so this catching situation is about to get complicated.

The Cardinals need more clarity on this position group, and September will go a long way in providing that.

#2 - How many of their young relievers do the Cardinals trust moving forward?

If you haven't noticed, the Cardinals bullpen looks quite a bit different as of late. Luis Gastelum has established himself as a legit weapon after debuting in July, and now fellow rookies Cade Winquest and Brycen Mautz are getting their chances as well. It's also been reported that Hancel Rincon is getting called up today alongside Bernal to make his Major League debut.

We've seen the Cardinals' player development group help unlock relievers all year long. Riley O'Brien and George Soriano have had their moments this year, and as of late, both Gastelum and Gordon Graceffo have made changes that have propelled them into major roles.

There are a ton of young arms in the Cardinals bullpen right now, and figuring out which ones they feel confident in heading into 2027 matters a lot. Reliever volatility is real, but having a fair idea of how many arms you think can be major contributors next season helps with roster building this offseason.

#3 - Can Nolan Gorman or Matthew Liberatore show enough to earn a role with the Cardinals in 2027?

If I had to guess today, I would say that both Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore, who have been best friends since grade school and debuted together with the Cardinals, are both off the roster this offseason.

Gorman, who just recently returned to the Major League roster after a long stint with Memphis this season, has slashed .187/.270/.320 on the season with eight home runs and a 64 wRC+ in 68 games. Since returning, the numbers are actually even worse, as he's hitting .111/.158/.333, but some of the expected metrics do think he's got more in the tank.

Liberatore has the worst ERA in baseball among starters who've thrown more than 130 innings (5.41) and has been consistently beaten around by opposing offenses this year. His strikeout stuff is getting better, but it is impossible to ignore how much teams tee off on him at times. He can't avoid the big inning, and it's just hard to trust Liberatore when he's on the mound.

Both players enter their second year of arbitration this offseason, and I think the Cardinals are trending toward non-tendering Gorman and possibly Liberatore too. I do think there could be some trade interest out there for Liberatore, or that the Cardinals could keep him in their bullpen, but neither player should feel confident about their roles with the team next year.

Now, if either or both can finish strong, that can change. There is no way either of them does enough to guarantee a starting role, but they can certainly be in the mix next season if they produce in September. If not, they are likely gone.

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