Pedro Pages' future with the Cardinals is becoming increasingly murky

With reports swirling that the St. Louis Cardinals will be calling up catching prospect Leo Bernal this week, it's getting harder and harder to see how Pedro Pages fits with this roster long-term.

Pages, who debuted with the Cardinals back in 2023, was reduced to a mostly bench role back in May when the club called up another catching prospect, Jimmy Crooks. Even as Crooks has struggled to find his footing at and behind the plate, the Cardinals have still rolled with the rookie and Ivan Herrera behind the plate most days. Pages has seen limited action from time to time, but overall, he has mostly been a defensive replacement and asset behind the scenes to his fellow catchers and pitching staff.

With Bernal entering the picture, if the Cardinals keep all four catchers on the roster, I don't see how Pages will play at all the rest of the season. This has been Pages' worst season at the plate, slashing just .209/.260/.311 with a 59 wRC+ in very limited action. He's still one of the best catchers in the sport at controlling the running game and framing, so he has a future as a Major League catcher, but it's hard to see how that remains with the Cardinals.

Pedro Pages may be in his last season with the Cardinals

Barring the Cardinals moving Herrera off the catching position or trading away Crooks, the club is likely going to give those two and Bernal the reins to the catcher position moving forward, with no need for Pages on the roster anymore.

Should the Cardinals move Herrera to a different position or potentially trade one of those three catchers, Pages could serve a similar reserve role in 2027, but that seems rather unlikely as things currently stand.

Pages has value to other clubs. When he's been a regular catcher, he's posted below-average offensive numbers, but passable given his defense behind the plate and value to a pitching staff. He's probably a higher-end backup catcher at this point in his career, and so the Cardinals could look to trade him this offseason.

I wouldn't rule out a non-tender at this point either, unless the Cardinals are going to have him or Crooks spend time in Triple-A next year; they are running out of space for their catchers at this level. Top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez will make his Triple-A debut either this year or at the beginning of the 2027 campaign, meaning he is well on his way to debuting for the big league club next year as well.

Keep an eye on how the Cardinals handle Pages' roster spot this month and his playing time, as that will give some early signs of how the Cardinals see Pages' future with the club.

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