Don't sleep on Jimmy Crooks' value for the Cardinals moving forward

I think it's fair to say most of us hoped to see more out of Jimmy Crooks at the Major League level this year, but don't sleep on the value that Crooks still brings to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sure, it's easy to see how the 25-year-old could end up being a trade chip for the Cardinals this offseason (more on that later), but they also should not be quick to cast him to the side, either. I actually think their decision to demote Crooks to Memphis when they called up Leo Bernal was a sign of that - they believe Crooks is someone worthy of consistent playing time.

At the MLB level this year, Crooks slashed .179/.255/.336 with five home runs in 52 games, far from the production the Cardinals hoped they'd see when they called him up in May. But since his demotion to Triple-A, Crooks is slashing .391/.482/.587 with two home runs and five extra-base hits in just 12 games entering play on Sunday. He's a talented offensive player who can hold his own behind the plate, and those players carry value.

The greatest concerns around Crooks' game still revolve around his swing-and-miss in the zone that also leads to a high strikeout rate. At Triple-A, Crooks managed to limit his chase rate and walk a ton, which helped mitigate some of that concern. At the Major League level, Crooks rarely walked and expanded his zone too much, leading to a 32.2 K% along the way. But at both levels, the quality of contact in Crooks' bat was very, very good.

Depending on how the Cardinals want to sort out their mix of Bernal, Ivan Herrera, and the pending arrival of Rainiel Rodriguez, Crooks could very much have a role to play moving forward. But it's also fair to see how he could be used to acquire starting pitching, get a player to fill a hole in center field or third base, or be moved for different prospects.

There are a lot of directions the Cardinals could go with this.

The Cardinals should not rush a Jimmy Crooks trade if the right offer isn't there

At the end of the day, the Cardinals have a lot of very talented catchers right now, so they will need to choose who their guys are soon, but that doesn't mean they have to rush a Crooks trade if they prefer their other options.

First, maybe they could get an offer they can't refuse for someone like Herrera that makes them reconsider Crooks' role with the club. That's certainly a possible outcome of this offseason.

Second, even if they commit to the other guys, Crooks can still hang around next year if the right deal isn't available this offseason. Let's say Bernal and Herrera split time at the MLB level to start, then Crooks and Rodriguez can split time in Memphis while also playing other positions. In today's game, most catchers do not catch more than 60% of the games, so there is plenty of opportunity to go around.

Ultimately, I have a hard time believing there won't be a team out there who is very intrigued by Crooks as their long-term catcher. There were rumors at the trade deadline that Crooks would be on the move. Pop from the left side behind the plate with above-average defensive ability is hard to find, and the Cardinals know that.

Crooks is the type of piece that could be part of a larger deal to bring a bigger name to St. Louis, but he could also be the type of player a team tries to "buy" using prospect capital to strengthen the Cardinals' system. That would then give the Cardinals even more assets to help their Major League team in the future or trade for that help eventually. Crooks could even be the main piece of a deal for a really solid player at a different position of need.

How the Cardinals handle Crooks' status with the club this offseason will be a major storyline to watch.

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