Cardinals would get a king's ransom for Ivan Herrera based on new industry price point

As rumors swirl regarding strong interest in St. Louis Cardinals' catcher and designated hitter Ivan Herrera, the latest on Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman's market shows that the Cardinals should expect a massive return for Herrera, should they deal him.

Per reporting from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Rockies, if they move Goodman, are looking for multi-player packages headlined by a team's number one prospect - such as outfielder Theo Gillen from the Rays (MLB Pipeline's No. 9 prospect in their current top 100) or shortstop Franklin Arias from the Red Sox (MLB Pipeline's No. 7 prospect).

ESPN shared on Wednesday that the Red Sox and Yankees are both among the teams interested in acquiring Herrera, and considering so many contenders want both a catcher and an impact right-handed bat, it is easy to see why both Goodman and Herrera could command huge returns. Goodman has an .872 OPS on the year with 31 home runs but benefits from the Coors Field effect, while Ivan Herrera brings a more well-rounded offensive profile and is suppressed by Busch Stadium's power outage this season. Goodman has an awesome 146 wRC+ on the road this year, but Herrera's 136 wRC+ away from Busch Stadium is not far behind.

If the Cardinals trade Ivan Herrera, it should net them a top prospect in all of baseball

With so many teams interested in catchers and right-handed bats, and many of them wanting to go for a World Series this year before the new CBA potentially changes the landscape for them, Herrera and Goodman could be the two most desired players on the market alongside Tigers' Tarik Skubal.

Herrera and Goodman get to their offense differently, but you could argue there are a bit more concerns with Goodman's profile due to his high swing-and-miss as well as chase rate. Both players have question marks regarding their defense as well.

Now, just because the asking price is there doesn't mean that is what a team would play, but the Cardinals and Rockies both have three years of club control remaining on their catchers, so they have zero rush to move them. And with many of the teams interested in a catcher being rivals in the AL East (Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays), it makes the idea of the price driving up and up even more possible.

Pair that with the fact that the other high-end catcher being dangled out there, Adley Rutschman, plays in the AL East already, and it may be hard for one of those three teams to acquire Rutschman from the Orioles. Whichever of those three teams acquires Herrera or Goodman is going to get a major boost, and those who strike out are going to feel left behind.

Now, I still believe the likelihood that Herrera is traded is very low, and the Cardinals should not accept an offer unless it blows their socks off. I know he has slumped this summer, but he's far, far too productive at the plate in his young career to trade for the sake of trading.

Yes, I know they have catchers on the way, but there is no guarantee of success with those guys. Just look at Jimmy Crooks, who is slashing .173/.264/.321 since he was called up. I'm still a believer, but it just goes to show you that becoming an everyday MLB catcher is really, really hard. Sure, Herrera is not perfect, but man, he does have some incredible traits that make him so desirable on this trade market.

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