Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol praises young catchers with high expectations

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was asked about the catching expectations going into 2025 during a recent interview with Katie Woo and Trevor Rosenthal. He showed that he has plenty of faith in the current tandem of Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages and is excited about their progress from their first big league action.

Former Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal put Oli on the hot seat early, asking how the team expects to navigate the catching situation this season. For the first time in decades, the position goes into Jupiter without a set backstop after going from Mike Matheny to Yadier Molina to Willson Contreras. In a move to keep Contreras healthy, the now-former catcher will be spending most of his days at first base or designated hitter, with Herrera and Pages moving into bigger roles behind the dish. Marmol admitted that moving Contreras to first would not be possible without having trust in the two catchers.

How have Pages and Herrera improved from 2024?

While working through a tough catcher situation last season between Contreras' injuries, Herrera's inability to throw anyone out, and Pages' lack of offensive upside, Marmol understands that he needs the young guys to make a leap this year. He immediately praised the changes each player has made coming to spring training, saying "They're really good at what they do" and then stressed the changes that Pages has made since becoming a professional. When he came into the minor league system, Oli noted that Pages did not have the best diet but has adjusted to the big league grind and became a trusted receiver for the pitching staff.

""He gains the trust of the pitching staff to the point where you trust him in any game situation with the game on the line. He is prepared enough to call what needs to be called. He takes ownership over that, his preparation is incredible, so credit to him for the work put in.""

Manager Oli Marmol on Pages

Marmol then sang praises for Herrera, mentioning his maturity and preparation. He specifically mentions that Herrera is gaining a stronger understanding of the game and is working on putting the game prep and situations together to make the right decision. Throwing out baserunners was a major weakness for Herrera, but his time spent working at Driveline this offseason seems to paying off, as it has been reported that his throw has more power and carry behind it.

""Do they have the experience in the years of Matheny or Yadi? No, but we're planning for the future and these two guys are going to play an important role in that.""

Marmol on the young catching options

While he would not tip his hand at which catcher would be the go-to guy, it's clear that both players are going to fill a role for the Cardinals this season. Marmol knows he will have to make decisions and weigh the pros and cons of defense or offense for who plays when, but the expectation is that Herrera and Pages will receive the opportunity to show who they can be.

With the St. Louis Cardinals moving from a "reset" to a "transition," figuring out the catching situation will go a long way. For a team that has never really had any catcher decisions to make, 2025 looks like it will be a season-long battle between Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages.