Dark horse Cardinals trade candidate could become deadline's most sought-after piece

It's widely known by now that the mess of riches that the St. Louis Cardinals hold at the catcher spot, one of baseball's most valued positions, gives them ample clout at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Iván Herrera isn't the most talented of the Cardinals' catching crop, but his potent bat from the right side of the plate could have other teams interested should the Cardinals dangle him at the deadline.

In an era where right-handed hitters are disappearing from the sport, MLB.com's Mike Petriello named Herrera as the potential prize among hitters available at the trade deadline because of his handedness as well as his hitting aptitude. Herrera is having somewhat of a down year by his standards, hitting .246 with a .762 OPS, but his propensity to get plunked by pitches boosts his on-base percentage significantly.

It's a real question of whether the Cardinals would want to deal Herrera — the main Cardinals whose names have circulated in trade talks are Dustin May, Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek and Lars Nootbaar — but depending on how much more pitching President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom is pursuing, Bloom could proclaim the Cardinals open for business on nearly every veteran player, including the 26-year-old Herrera.

It's slim pickings for right-handed hitting at this year's deadline: After Herrera, Petriello's list of the best starboard-side batters that might be available included Taylor Ward, Ryan Jeffers, Heliot Ramos, Curtis Mead, Ty France, Lane Thomas, Spencer Steer and Jo Adell. It's not exactly a who's who of studs.

A team that takes a shot on Herrera probably wouldn't use him as an everyday catcher because of his complete inability to control the running game, but the fact that he can moonlight at the position would add to his value, as would his friendly contract: The Cardinals have three years of control over him following this season.

Losing Herrera wouldn't hurt the Cardinals as much as some might think

This season's trade deadline shouldn't have been one where any Cardinals fans were pining for their team to keep its remaining assets. Few people expected the Cardinals to sniff postseason contention, but with the Cardinals tied with the Miami Marlins for the final Wild Card spot on July 18, fans in St. Louis have fallen head over heels for their squad, creating a headache for Bloom. However, he appears steadfast on his desire to build for the future.

The Cardinals' glut of catchers includes Pedro Pagés, Jimmy Crooks, Leonardo Bernal and, perhaps the jewel, their top prospect, Rainiel Rodriguez. Losing Herrera would affect the designated hitter position far more than it would their catching depth, and it's not nearly as difficult to find a solid designated hitter as it is to seek out a strong catcher.

The Cardinals could look outside the organization for a designated hitter if they were so inclined, but given that there will probably be empty spots on the roster following the deadline, they're more likely to promote Nelson Velázquez or Joshua Báez to handle the designated hitter duties for some games while rotating in others to keep everyone fresh.

With the Cardinals' focus on finding pitchers with blazing fastballs, injuries will be a constant concern; the refrain of "You can never have too much pitching" will ring truer than ever before. The Cardinals will likely trade from their stocked catching cabinet at the deadline, and fans shouldn't count Herrera out of that mix if Bloom wants to take a swing at some talented pitching prospects to help the team in the years ahead.

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