Cardinals star prospect Rainiel Rodriguez's defense just got a huge vote of confidence

As Rainiel Rodriguez continues to mash the cover off the baseball as a 19-year-old in Double-A, it's hard not to get antsy and think about how to get that bat in the St. Louis Cardinals lineup as soon as possible. That day is coming soon, but the Cardinals should not be quick to rush him to St. Louis if it means his catching opportunities shrink.

Danny Black, who is the bench coach for the Springfield Cardinals, recently commented on Rodriguez's defense behind the plate, and he had a glowing review for the teenager, according to 2 The Bigs.

"He has taken a lot of new information and responsibility and has done great with it," said Black on Rodriguez's catching. "We highly value how he has developed as a catcher. He has put himself near the top of our defensive metrics with our catchers and at his age that is impressive. Great kid who works hard and just keeps getting better as the year goes on."

It is truly difficult to put into words how impressive it is that Rodriguez, who is just 19 years old and five years younger than the average player at the Double-A level, is currently producing 51% better than the league average offensively right now while handling all of the duties that come with catching. It's truly not hyperbole to say the Cardinals have a special prospect on their hands, one that could become a true superstar if things continue in this direction.

So, naturally, many have wondered if it makes sense for him to catch long term. With how good his bat is, a strong argument could be made that he needs to be in the lineup every day and keep that bat fresh as well, which catching can hinder. But the Cardinals have been insistent that he can and should catch, and while they are exploring positional versatility for him, I believe they are set up well to let Rodriguez catch long term.

The Cardinals are perfectly positioned for Rainiel Rodriguez to catch long term

In many ways, the Cardinals' surplus of catchers actually works in favor of the club letting Rodriguez catch long term. As we saw with how they handled Ivan Herrera this year, Rodriguez could, at minimum, catch two times out of every five days, and then Leo Bernal could handle the rest of those days. Sprinkle in a third catcher or sometimes let Rodriguez take more days behind the plate, and the Cardinals can have a recipe for keeping Rodriguez behind the plate while keeping his bat fresh.

If the Cardinals do have Rodriguez, Bernal, and Herrera all on their roster, getting all three of them consistent playing time requires creativity, but is not impossible. It does get far easier if you only have two mouths to feed there, but the potential of Rodriguez learning third base could go a long way toward fitting all of them into a lineup.

Multiple things can be true at once. I do believe Rodriguez should remain a catcher, but I do not think that means he needs to be the primary guy, or at least not ranking toward the top of the league in starts behind the plate. That bat seems too special not to maximize at the plate, and even great hitting catchers like Joe Mauer and Buster Posey eventually moved off the position. I'd like Rodriguez to play it as much as possible, but still prioritize his bat.

The Cardinals don't need to make any decisions on that today, but with the way Rodriguez is playing, he'll likely already be in St. Louis this time next year. That's plenty of time for the Cardinals to get a plan in place, but the day is certainly coming soon. What a great "problem" they seem to have on their hands.

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