Sports · Baseball · 1 hr ago
Cardinals Could Shop Catchers as St. Louis Plans for Bernal
The St. Louis Cardinals have four catchers on their 40-man roster, giving the team more depth at the position than it may need.
The club has drawn interest from other teams about its catching depth for more than a year, but has not made a trade from that group.
Leo Bernal is expected to move up the depth chart, after batting .284 with five home runs in his first major-league stint.
A report cited in the story says St. Louis would prefer Bernal to be its primary catcher in 2027.
That could make the other major-league catchers trade candidates, while the team is unlikely to move top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez.
Iván Herrera could interest teams seeking a right-handed hitter who can also play designated hitter, though his defensive work behind the plate is a concern.
The Cardinals may shop one of their catchers this offseason as they plan to give Leo Bernal the primary catching job in 2027.
Bernal made his major-league debut during September roster expansion and started 22 of the team’s final 24 games.
He batted .284 with five home runs, though he committed six errors.
St. Louis has four catchers on its 40-man roster, and prospect Rainiel Rodriguez is advancing through the minors.
Iván Herrera could interest teams seeking a right-handed hitter, despite questions about his defense behind the plate.
- Who
- The St. Louis Cardinals and their catchers, including Leo Bernal and Iván Herrera.
- What
- The Cardinals could shop one of their catchers as they plan for Bernal to take the primary job in 2027.
- When
- This offseason; Bernal is expected to break camp with the team in 2027.
- Where
- St. Louis.
- Why
- The team has several catchers and expects Bernal to take on a larger role.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Cardinals brought Bernal up to the major leagues.
Bernal started 22 games, including 15 behind the plate.
The Cardinals would prefer to give Bernal the primary catching job, according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Catchers on 40-man roster
- 4
- Bernal’s batting average
- .284
- Bernal’s home runs
- 5
- Bernal’s starts in final 24 games
- 22
- Herrera’s career batting line
- .265/.362/.410