Cardinals are wise to consider positional versatility with star prospect Rainiel Rodriguez

If you don't know the name Rainiel Rodriguez yet, you should. The St. Louis Cardinals' top prospect is putting up numbers that very few 19-year-olds in baseball history have at the plate, and considering he's doing that while developing as a catcher as well, the sky is the limit for this young man.

While Rodriguez is a bit underrated in my opinion when it comes to his defense behind the plate (remember, he's just 19 years old playing at a level where the average player is five years older than him), it's his bat that is truly special. Across High-A and Double-A this year, Rodriguez has posted a .314/.402/.563 with 24 home runs, 54 extra-base hits, and 77 RBI in just 105 games. Since being promoted to Double-A, Rodriguez has been even better, posting an eye-popping 151 OPS+ in 77 games and putting up historic numbers for a player his age at that level.

This, along with all of the catchers who've already made their way to the Major League level for St. Louis and the reported promotion of another top prospect and fellow catcher Leo Bernal to the big leagues this week, has many wondering whether or not the Cardinals need to move Rodriguez to another position. And honestly, it's a very fair question to ask.

First, because Rodriguez's bat is so, so good that it will likely propel him to the Majors before his defense has had enough time to bake. Not because he's a bad defender, but because so much goes into becoming a Major League-caliber catcher, and I think the Cardinals would like to set him up for success in that arena as much as possible.

Cardinals assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio joined 101 ESPN's midday show BK & Ferrario recently and discussed prospects having positional versatility, and specifically highlighted how Rodriguez has played some first base this year and that he is someone they will explore other positions for in the offseason. I couldn't agree more with the idea of expanding what Rodriguez can do defensively to give the Cardinals more options moving forward.

Rainiel Rodriguez gaining more positional versatility can get him to the Cardinals quicker

By no means did Cerfolio hint that Rodriguez would not be catching long-term, nor should fans think that's what the Cardinals plan on doing. However, it is completely fair to look at Bernal, who may end up being a very good starting catcher in this league, plus Herrera, who the Cardinals are continuing to try and develop behind the plate, and even Crooks, who has his own potential as a starting caliber catcher, and wonder how the Cardinals are going to fit all of these guys into their line up long-term.

Herrera could easily end up not being a catcher, or Bernal could flop as a big leaguer, or Crooks could continue to struggle, or one or more of these guys could be traded, and this whole conversation becomes far less complicated. The Cardinals have a great "problem" on their hands here, and when it comes to Rodriguez, if he's the real deal, they will find a way for him to get into the lineup.

The popular position that Rodriguez has been teased to try, and even Cerfolio mentioned it as a hypothetical (again, he did not say it was for sure happening), is third base, a position the Cardinals do not currently have a long-term solution for. Sure, Blaze Jordan has had his moments this year, and Jesus Baez looks incredible at Double-A himself this year, but I'm sure the Cardinals do not feel like anyone has laid claim to that job yet, and it's a position that could get Rodriguez into the lineup on a consistent basis.

Same with first base, a position that could use a right-handed complement to spell Alec Burleson some when a left-handed starter is on the mound. Burleson is one of the best hitters in baseball against right-handed pitching this year, posting a .951 OPS against them this season, but has a terrible .567 OPS against southpaws as well. Rodriguez, Bernal, or Herrera could start at first base when a lefty is on the mound, and then Burleson can come in later in games to match up against righties out of the bullpen.

I'll write soon about how the Cardinals can fit all of these guys into their lineup on a regular basis next year, but it really would be helpful for Rodriguez to add third base to his repertoire to get him in there more often. That doesn't mean that will end up being his primary position long-term, but at least in 2027 and 2028, it could be a way the Cardinals fit all of their fun, young players into their lineup each day.

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