Cardinals' forgotten trade chips could finalize offseason fire sale

The St. Louis Cardinals entered the 2025-2026 offseason as one of the teams across baseball looking to be clear sellers. With veterans like Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado costing the team plenty while taking at-bats from young players, it was clear this triumvirate would be moved.

And moved they were.

Chaim Bloom, in three consecutive moves in three consecutive months, has traded all three of those players for prospects to help build up a beleaguered farm system. In return, the Cardinals have gained two top-10 organizational prospects in left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke and right-handed pitcher Yhoiker Fajardo. The Cardinals were also able to shave tens of millions of dollars in payroll for 2026 ahead of a messy TV deal and a potential lockout in 2027.

The other trade chip that the Cardinals could boast this winter was their catching depth. We haven't heard much about this crop of talented backstops lately, but conversations could resurface given recent movement in the free agent market.

As of right now, the Cardinals have four catchers on the 40-man roster: Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, Jimmy Crooks, and Yohel Pozo. Not many organizations carry four catchers on their 40-man roster.

Behind these MLB catchers, the Cardinals have Leonardo Bernal as their #4 prospect in Triple-A Memphis. Bernal won the minor-league Gold Glove last year, and he posted a .726 OPS with 13 home runs in Double-A Springfield last year.

Rainiel Rodriguez is the club's #3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old backstop played in three levels last year, reaching High-A in the final week of the season. He finished 2025 with a .276/.399/.555 slash line for a .954 OPS. He slugged 20 home runs and 22 doubles.

St. Louis also has Ryan Campos and Sammy Hernandez as optional depth in the minors.

The other interesting factor regarding the Cardinals' catching depth has been the free agent catcher market lately.

In the last two days, J.T. Realmuto has re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, a team desperate for catching depth, and Victor Caratini and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal. Both clubs were in search of a catcher, and they found their guys.

The catching market is heating up, and the St. Louis Cardinals should capitalize on this market with their catching depth.

According to reports, the Houston Astros are still in search of a veteran catcher to play backup or split time with Cesar Salazar. The Tampa Bay Rays are projected to start Nick Fortes, but he posted a .644 OPS last year with solid defense when it comes to blocking and framing. In-division rival Milwaukee Brewers could use a backup catcher. After non-tendering Jonah Heim, the Texas Rangers are also in the market for a catcher.

If the Cardinals opt to trade a young catcher like Bernal or Crooks, they could get a solid starting pitcher in return. Pedro Pages could net a middle reliever or a depth prospect. A package of these catchers with a major-league player (Houston, can I interest you in Lars Nootbaar and Pedro Pages? Maybe Texas would like a catcher and JoJo Romero.) could bring back a legitimate prospect or regular starting pitcher.

The catcher market is beginning to heat up this offseason. The Cardinals have plenty to offer in the trade market, and Chaim Bloom should capitalize on the hot stove.