The Cardinals' catching depth creates flexibility in roster building this offseason

Losing a franchise icon like Yadier Molina is still a major loss for the St. Louis Cardinals, one they are still feeling years later. It is impossible to replace his presence and all-time-level skillset and we really saw that force the club into a tailspin in 2023.

Yet, even for all of those self-inflicted flaws, the Cardinals have actually done a great job of building catching depth throughout the levels of their organization, and it's probably safe to say they have the best group of catchers in baseball. They aren't necessarily doing what they should to equip each of those players when it comes to their ability behind the plate, but there are at least five catchers in the organization who have really intriguing skill sets.

Willson Contreras was the Cardinals' big signing two offseasons ago, and while his defense still has a lot of room for improvement, the strides he's made there coupled with his elite bat has made him a home run signing for St. Louis. Since signing with the Cardinals, Contreras ranked first in weighted runs created plus (148), on-base percentage (.381), and slugging percentage (.519) among all catchers while ranking third in average (.284). His bat isn't just good for a catcher, it is one of the best in baseball, period.

While Ivan Herrera has been critiqued publicly over the last few years for his own deficiencies behind the plate (namely his below-average arm strength), his bat has also made a major impact in his brief Major League career. Among all catchers with at least 200 plate appearances in 2024, Herrera ranks third in wRC+, only behind the Contreras brothers. He sported the best average and second-best on-base percentage among catchers, so if he can grow into a bit more power, he could rival Contreras for the best-hitting catcher in baseball.

Herrera only got to play in 72 games for the Cardinals, which was a major mistake on their part considering he was their second-best hitter this year and ranked fifth on the club in fWAR despite playing 80 games less than Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan, and Nolan Arenado who only accrued a little over 1.0 fWAR more than Herrera.

One of the major reasons the Cardinals lessened Herrera's playing time and even sent him to Memphis for long stretches was due to Pedro Pages' emergence as the club's best defensive catcher. After non-tendering Andrew Knizner last offseason, Pages was added to the 40-man roster as depth behind Contreras and Herrera. Pages quickly gained a regular role with the club though due to Contreras' injuries, but even with Contreras was healthy, the club preferred Pages over Herrera.

While Pages' bat left a lot to be desired (82 wRC+ in 218 plate appearances), he was above-average in blocking, framing, and pop time, and the Cardinals continued to rave about how he works with the club's pitching staff. When Pages was behind the dish, the Cardinals' team ERA was just 3.80, while that number was 4.15 with Contreras and 4.20 with Herrera.

Down on the farm, catcher Jimmy Crooks was named the 2024 Texas League Most Valuable Player and the Cardinals' minor league position player of the year after slashing .321/.410/.498 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI in 90 games for the Springfield Cardinals. There is a good chance he begins 2025 in Triple-A and will soon be knocking on the door of St. Louis.

20-year-old catcher Leonardo Bernal is a switch hitter with intriguing upside long-term as well, and he just put up a .739 OPS in High-A and Double-A this past year. While he is quite a ways away from St. Louis, he's someone the organization has its eye on as well.

For a position group that is fairly thin around the game of baseball, the Cardinals are currently overflowing with talent in both the immediate and long-term future, making their catcher position an area they can use to strengthen the organization this offseason.

Does Contreras have a long-term future with the club, or will he request a trade? If he is traded, his bat should warrant a good return. If he's kept, do the Cardinals explore Contreras getting even more DH time or taking on a new position like first base to keep his elite bat in the lineup?

Getting Ivan Herrera more playing time would be like adding a bat to this club. With how good he's been at the plate, the Cardinals could upgrade offensively but moving Contreras to first base full-time or DH often and having Herrera catch. If Herrera can improve his arm strength even just a bit, the Cardinals have someone great on their hands.

Herrera is out of minor league options though, so could that lead St. Louis to dangle Herrera in trades this offseason? If they are intent on Pages playing often and are not going to move Herrera or Contreras to a different position, it has to be a possibility.

If the Cardinals are not as high on Herrera as they should be, the presence of Pages and the promise of Crooks and Bernal could compel them to be aggressive in using him as a trade piece. Or if the Cardinals want to get younger, knowing that you have those three and Herrera makes it a bit easier to bite the bullet and deal Contreras. Or what is stopping them from using Crooks or Bernal to get help for the MLB roster?

How the Cardinals handle their catchers this offseason will tell us a lot about their long-term plans - and it will have a major impact on the future of their roster. If they choose to give more playing time to their high-performing bats in Contreras or Herrera, it could lead to a major offensive upgrade for the club next season by getting hopefully 145+ games of Contreras as opposed to the 84 they got last year, and Herrera can take on a significant role with the roster as well.

If they decide to trade any of those catchers, it could lead to a strengthen farm system or new talented being added to other areas of the MLB roster.

The Cardinals have some tough decisions to make this offseason, and the ramifications of those choices could be felt for a long time, for better or for worse.