STLtoday.com

Youboughtit wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 23:33 pm

clemonsonroots wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 23:11 pm

Youboughtit wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 22:39 pm

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 21:55 pm IMO he is the catcher for the next 6+ years in STL.

His time could be as early as the 2nd half this year.

Pages is just a guy.

Crooks would form a solid #2 to Bernal

Pozo Hererra and Rodruigez? Only one DH spot and Gorman might be in it.

in a couple of years, bernal at catcher, herrera in left, crooks at backup c and rodriguez at dh. gorman will kick rocks

I have no faith in Hererra having a fielding position. Slow and no arm. I think he’s a prototypical DH. Maybe Rodruigez in OF but Baez will be there for sure. I feel they need to move 1-2 catchers and get real OF. Too many DH/C on this roster

Herrera isn't slow.

hugeCardfan wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 03:00 am

Jobu's Rum wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 02:32 am Yeah a lot of people forget about him and leave him out bc Rodriguez, but Bernal is the guy at C, switch hitter too, Rodriguez at DH.

Not so fast. As great as Bernal may be, Rainiel, may surpass him. Rod is 2 years younger than Bernal and a season behind him. He's already exhibiting more power than Bernal, although neither has reached the age to realize max power. Both appear to be extraordinary athletes. No one in the organization is hinting that Rainiel may not be an everyday catcher.

We will have the enviable task to figure out which one, Bernal or Rodriguez, gets the nod. Bernal has the chance to solidify his position but Rainiel is snapping at his heels. In the meantime we have a talented catcher in Crooks to trade over the next couple years.

What makes you say this?

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 08:51 am

hugeCardfan wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 03:00 amNo one in the organization is hinting that Rainiel may not be an everyday catcher.

Nobody was hinting that Herrera was a bad defensive catcher when he was navigating the low minors either.

CT also likes to overblow everything. Most on here have never seen Rodriguez play. Most on here have never seen Herrera play either! Lol They like to read something somebody posts and recite it as fact.

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 09:15 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 08:56 am I think he could be here later this season if/when P. Pages is traded (and that should happen ASAP).

This is my thought as well. A combination of Bernal/Crooks behind the plate would be very solid.

Agree, mostly.

I'd trade Pages.
I'd roll with Herrera/Crooks right now.
If Herrera steps up, then great! (Then you have a really nice problem!)
If not, then you have Bernal/Crooks combo when Bernal is ready.

Cards just seem to have a skill at finding GG catchers

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 09:15 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 08:56 am I think he could be here later this season if/when P. Pages is traded (and that should happen ASAP).

This is my thought as well. A combination of Bernal/Crooks behind the plate would be very solid.

You’re right.

Let’s hope these ‘surprises’ on the mlb roster are minimized under Bloom.

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 09:27 am

Youboughtit wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 23:33 pm

clemonsonroots wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 23:11 pm

Youboughtit wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 22:39 pm

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 21:55 pm IMO he is the catcher for the next 6+ years in STL.

His time could be as early as the 2nd half this year.

Pages is just a guy.

Crooks would form a solid #2 to Bernal

Pozo Hererra and Rodruigez? Only one DH spot and Gorman might be in it.

in a couple of years, bernal at catcher, herrera in left, crooks at backup c and rodriguez at dh. gorman will kick rocks

I have no faith in Hererra having a fielding position. Slow and no arm. I think he’s a prototypical DH. Maybe Rodruigez in OF but Baez will be there for sure. I feel they need to move 1-2 catchers and get real OF. Too many DH/C on this roster

Herrera isn't slow.

He isn’t catching or playing any OF even in ST. They moved Sagesse there instead. I see no plan for him by the Cardinals other than DH

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 09:26 am

Youboughtit wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 22:39 pm

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑25 Feb 2026 21:55 pm IMO he is the catcher for the next 6+ years in STL.

His time could be as early as the 2nd half this year.

Pages is just a guy.

Crooks would form a solid #2 to Bernal

Pozo Hererra and Rodruigez? Only one DH spot and Gorman might be in it.

Pozo is not in the long-term plans.
Rodriguez is still a couple years away.
Gorman will either sink or swim at 3B this year.
Herrera will likely catch mostly this year.

Has caught 0 games and as of Monday not even caught a bullpen in ST

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 09:15 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 08:56 am I think he could be here later this season if/when P. Pages is traded (and that should happen ASAP).

This is my thought as well. A combination of Bernal/Crooks behind the plate would be very solid.

Let's hope it happens midseason if Bernal is having a good year at Memphis and Bloom can dump Pages.

Bernal, and to a degree Pozo, is why I fully expected the Cardinals to move one of Pages or Crooks this offseason.

Pages, Crooks, Herrera, Pozo, and Bernal not far off - that's a lot of depth.

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:12 am Bernal, and to a degree Pozo, is why I fully expected the Cardinals to move one of Pages or Crooks this offseason.

Pages, Crooks, Herrera, Pozo, and Bernal not far off - that's a lot of depth.

With possibly the best of all R.R. steaming towards St. Louis in a few years!

I'd like to see Pages gone before camp breaks.

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:12 am Bernal, and to a degree Pozo, is why I fully expected the Cardinals to move one of Pages or Crooks this offseason.

Pages, Crooks, Herrera, Pozo, and Bernal not far off - that's a lot of depth.

To the point of clutter.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:15 am

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:12 am Bernal, and to a degree Pozo, is why I fully expected the Cardinals to move one of Pages or Crooks this offseason.

Pages, Crooks, Herrera, Pozo, and Bernal not far off - that's a lot of depth.

With possibly the best of all R.R. steaming towards St. Louis in a few years!

I'd like to see Pages gone before camp breaks.

Maybe they are just hanging on to them for the early part of ST when they usually have extra catchers around to work out the pitcher and plan to trade one before Opening Day. That's a long shot rationalization, but the best I can come up with.

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:15 am

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:12 am Bernal, and to a degree Pozo, is why I fully expected the Cardinals to move one of Pages or Crooks this offseason.

Pages, Crooks, Herrera, Pozo, and Bernal not far off - that's a lot of depth.

With possibly the best of all R.R. steaming towards St. Louis in a few years!

I'd like to see Pages gone before camp breaks.

Maybe they are just hanging on to them for the early part of ST when they usually have extra catchers around to work out the pitcher and plan to trade one before Opening Day. That's a long shot rationalization, but the best I can come up with.

Yes that and not trading Romero are my two disappointments about the offseason. Doesn't make sense not to have traded Crooks or at least Pages. I would prefer they trade Crooks because he'll bring back more than Pages.

Crooks + Romero could have gotten a decent prospect I suspect.

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:15 am

mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑26 Feb 2026 10:12 am Bernal, and to a degree Pozo, is why I fully expected the Cardinals to move one of Pages or Crooks this offseason.

Pages, Crooks, Herrera, Pozo, and Bernal not far off - that's a lot of depth.

With possibly the best of all R.R. steaming towards St. Louis in a few years!

I'd like to see Pages gone before camp breaks.

Maybe they are just hanging on to them for the early part of ST when they usually have extra catchers around to work out the pitcher and plan to trade one before Opening Day. That's a long shot rationalization, but the best I can come up with.

Likely and logical.

If a contender loses their major league catcher or back-up during STing and doesn't have a kid at AAA they feel is ready for MLB, then hopefully Bloom can thin the herd and move on from Pages.

Long shot also, best I can do too.

The Cardinals’ lineups per catchers has been odd so far. Here is a list of the games played so far;
Bernal-3 Pages - 2 Pozo - 2 Rodriguez - 1 at DH Herrera - 0 Crooks - 1 Tarlow - 3 Yerzy - 2 Linarez - 1 Compos - 1

They aren’t giving Crooks much of a look so far, nor Herrera due to his elbow, I assume. Lots of Spring left, so who knows what they’re thinking is. I was just hopeful Crooks would get a good look. He’s been a very good RBI hitter in the minors, something that the ‘26 Cardinals could use. He was also considered a better defensive catcher by the experts than Bernal. Not my opinion, someone else posted their write ups in an earlier thread.