Three prospects for the Cardinals to trade before the trade deadline

A lot of (virtual) ink has been spilled about the St. Louis Cardinals and their trade deadline decisions that are looming. Josh Jacobs took to Twitter most recently to explore various trade packages.

Most of the trade packages being discussed are centered around major league players that will be moved off the roster. However, not many minor leaguers have been discussed as centerpieces in trade packages. My goal today is to identify three minor league players who could be moved for one reason or another.

Keep all of these trade ideas in a vacuum; one may happen in conjunction with another, one player may be included in a package with a major league player, or the trades may not happen at all. That's the glory of the trade deadline and the speculation associated with it: we never know what will happen in the end.

These three players could be traded for a variety of reasons. They could be blocked at the major league level, there is a better prospect behind them that's rising quickly, they are out of options, or they could use a change of scenery altogether. Hopefully, at least one of these trades fills a hole that the Cardinals currently have or will have in the near future.

Three prospects who the Cardinals can move at the trade deadline

Ivan Herrera

Once Carson Kelly was traded and it was clear that Andrew Knizner wasn't fit to be an everyday starter, the organization set its sights on Ivan Herrera, a bat-first catcher who has shown great success in the minors.

The 23-year-old catcher has always played well offensively, but his defense has shown signs of improvement these past few years, especially after seeing some time in the majors last year under Yadier Molina's tutelage. Currently in Memphis, Herrera is slashing .291/.425/.535 for an OPS of .960. These numbers are absurd for someone who is three years younger on average than his competition. Furthermore, Herrera has boosted his exit velocity numbers and walk rate handily from 2022 while maintaining a strong K rate. Sadly, the front office doesn't seem too apt to call him up since they just paid their current starter $87.5 million over five years.

These numbers, along with Herrera's age, make him very appealing to contenders and teams on the up-and-up. He is not arbitration eligible until 2026, so he has lots of team control left. Why would the Cardinals choose to trade him given all of these positives? Well, they almost have to trade him at this point if they don't plan on making him at least a partial MLB catcher next year. He's shown he can play in AAA and that he deserves every chance to prove himself in the majors. However, Andrew Knizner has displayed a sense of comfort with the starting staff. The starters already struggled to adjust to Contreras; does management want to replay that scenario again next year with Ivan Herrera?

If John Mozeliak wants to capitalize on a prospect's value while he has a starter and a backup in the majors, now is the time to trade Herrera. While he may not be a top-10 catcher currently on MLB.com's list, he does have stats that measure up to those who are on that list. He's probably a top-5 catching prospect in the minors currently.

The most obvious fit is Miami, and Josh Jacobs discussed possible Ivan Herrera deals with Miami recently. They have ample starting pitching and they need a catcher for those starters. Herrera could be traded to the Marlins and immediately split time with Nick Fortes or Jacob Stallings. Tampa Bay could also use a catcher, even though their roster is already stacked with strong bats.

Moises Gomez

Moises Gomez has been one of the best hitters in the minors for the last two years now. His OPS is consistently over .900, and he has even shown success in the Fall League. Gomez is also being blocked at the majors by a handful of players. Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, and even Tommy Edman/Brendan Donovan can all play well in the outfield, for the most part. The 24-year-old Gomez is listed as the Cardinals' 11th-best prospect, per MLB.com.

In AAA, Gomez is slashing .244/.306/.507 for an OPS of .813. While his walks aren't what you want to see and he strikes out at a high rate, a slugging percentage over .500 is something teams will drool over. That bat will play in the heart of a lineup at any level, particularly for a team that needs some pop. While his defense is nothing special, he can play a serviceable corner outfield, particularly in left.

When thinking of a team that could use a strong bat in the corner outfield, one team comes to mind quickly: The New York Yankees. Even before they traded for Andrew Benintendi at last year's deadline, the Yankees have been looking for a consistent bat in left field who can be serviceable on defense. They have Jasson Dominguez, who is a year or two away, but he plays center and they want to keep him there. Jake Bauers has recently been filling in, but he is probably more suited for first base or a bench piece.

Other teams that may be interested in a bat-first outfielder would be the Dodgers, Twins, Guardians, Phillies, and Marlins. These teams all have pitching in the upper levels of the minors that the Cardinals could poach.