It sure sounds like Cardinals' catching situation is out of Oliver Marmol's hands

No matter what work environment you find yourself in, unless you're running the company, there are just some questions that are above your pay grade. According to St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, that applies to the club's catching situation beyond Leo Bernal at this point.

Marmol spoke with reporters this past weekend about playing time heading into this offseason, stating that Bernal and Nathan Church had laid claim to the starting catcher and center field jobs, and that third base was "wide open". But along with that conversation came a nugget on the larger catching conversation, to which Marmol said, "That's a Chaim question."

That's a very, very interesting posture to take ahead of this offseason.

What are Chaim Bloom's thoughts on the Cardinals catching situation?

I, like most people, wonder what Marmol was alluding to with that answer, and frankly, wonder if he has something to do with Ivan Herrera's future at the dish.

Here's one thing we do know: during the middle of last season, Herrera was removed from the Cardinals' catching rotation, only for the club to later say he would be back behind the plate in 2026. Some of that decision was driven by Herrera's physical health and continued development at the position, but it was also clear that the Cardinals did not trust him behind the plate.

Clearly someone, whether it was Bloom, Marmol, or both, wanted to see Herrera get another shot at that. If he could produce at a high-level offensively, as he had done leading into 2026, while also catching at even just an average ability, that's an extremely valuable player. Instead, Herrera still had some major flags in his defense behind the plate, and along with that, he regressed in a significant way offensively as well.

Pair that with Bernal's loud debut, Jimmy Crooks and his potential, and the not-so-far-away introduction of Rainiel Rodriguez, and there could be some shake-ups coming.

That could mean Herrera's usage will change, or that someone like Crooks could be shopped this offseason. Maybe Pedro Pages regains a larger role, maybe he's moved, or he could even remain as a third catcher. How close is Rodriguez in their eyes? There are so many directions they could choose to go with this.

You can honestly make the argument for a lot of different outcomes. Herrera did improve defensively, and perhaps another offseason can improve his arm behind the plate and feel for the position. He's also been an excellent offensive performer in the past, so while the increased workload may have worn him down, it's also hard to just give up on him producing like that at catcher.

Crooks is a promising prospect but one who has not found his footing at the Major League level, and yet he's too talented to give up on. Sure, if there's a good deal out there, go for it, but I don't think he could be discounted in this conversation.

And then there's the elephant in the room: there's a 19-year-old catcher who is putting up historic offensive numbers at Double-A this season, and he very well may be ready to debut for St. Louis in under 12 months. So how does that factor into all of this?

Decisions, decisions. And while we don't know where they'll land yet, it's hard not to take Marmol's comment as teasing that shifts are coming in some shape or form.

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