8 Cardinals who weren't traded at the deadline but could be moved this offseason

Any catcher

The St. Louis Cardinals not only have a logjam of sorts at second base and corner outfield, but they also have a plethora of talented catchers. Yohel Pozo and Pedro Pages are now in a timeshare at the majors. Ivan Herrera could feasibly return to the position next year once he distances himself from his injuries of this year. Willson Contreras's catching days are likely behind him.

In the minors, the Cardinals have three viable future catchers in Jimmy Crooks (#5 prospect in system), Leonardo Bernal (#3 prospect in system), and Rainiel Rodriguez (#4 prospect in system). Their catching depth is quite strong.

In the final hours of Thursday afternoon, the San Diego Padres acquired catcher Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals for two pitchers, both of whom have major-league experience. Fermin, 30, has a .255/.309/.339 slash line for an OPS+ of just 81. Fermin is an exceptional defensive catcher, though. The Cardinals' major-league catchers in Pages and Pozo don't necessarily measure up to Fermin's output, but one of the two could have been appealing to the Padres.

I'm not advocating for a catching prospect to be dealt this offseason; the club is still in a rebuild mode. However, the depth at catching in the minors should allow the front office to trade its major-league catchers for pitching or other areas of need.

Manager Oliver Marmol and the organization have always had a preference towards Pedro Pages over Yohel Pozo and Ivan Herrera, though Herrera's days behind the plate are likely over for this year at least. His game calling and framing, likely a dying art with the Automated Ball-Strike System on the horizon, are frequently touted as reasons to play him every day. However, the Cardinals need a more competent offensive catcher. Trading Pages while he has some defensive value still may be wise, and capitalizing on a surprisingly good offensive year from Yohel Pozo would be wise as well.

Trading these two major leaguers would force Jimmy Crooks up, but he could be ready if he finishes the year strong in the minors.

Clearly, AJ Preller of the San Diego Padres was in need of a catcher, and clearly he was willing to trade MLB-ready pitching for a catcher. Not capitalizing on the catching market at the deadline didn't go well for the Cardinals. They should try and move some of their catching surplus this offseason one way or another.