Pages and Pozos (limited if anything)
Hererra (some desperate team potentially giving him a chance as secondary catcher who can hit at DH and potentially other positions)
Crooks, Bernal, Rodriguez.
There are a lot of catchers at the top. Obviously a critical position so you want to hold onto 1-2 but I would think moving a controlled highly touted catching prospect (if done correctly), could fetch you a player of similar upside that fills a position of need.
Interesting you mention Herrera. Many have him as future all star. I think he would be a very interesting trade piece or a component to a multiple player trade.
I agree. Everyone wants to move dead weight / vets but that too me is silly making that your priority. They should be focusing on talent acquisition at all cost first focusing on the players who have service time accrued and value. Not a lot but there are some including Herrera. He could bring you back a nice prospect (hopefully a bat and not more pitching)
You don't have to trade Herrera for a bat. He is the bat you hope to acquire.
Don’t you want a player who fields a position and hits? Besides he’s 26 and has quite a bit of service time already.
Hes someone you move on from. Timing is off.
What I want?
Yes, I want a player that fields a position. I want Herrera in LF. I don't want Herrera as a catcher or full-time DH. The org seems determined to try something different. Obviously, I'm not in a position to argue with that.
I don't want to trade Herrera. I also am not strictly opposed to it. He has 4 years of team control left. That's quite a bit and hopefully they can find out what they need to know next season. He will have high trade value for the next couple offseasons. He will have the most if he is considered a catcher, quite a bit if he's considered a LF of 1B, and the least if he is considered a DH.
Catchers not to trade, Bernal and Herrera. Herrera is the long sought RH bat we need. He won't catch, but he can really hit. Bernal based on the scouting reports is our next great defensive catcher. Those are two attributes this team badly needs. The rest, except Rainal, I don't care about much as they are JAGs. Easy, obvious and correct.
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 16:52 pm
I think it's a little early to be talking about surplus catchers.
Isn’t that what good orgs do? Beat teams to the punch and flip players? They have needs (gaping holes) that need to be addressed. Most of their top players are years away. Why fight it the timing isn’t there.
Crooks has yet to establish himself as the everyday catcher. Ivan isn't a catcher. Pages is good enough to hold down the position for a 2d rate team. Pozo is a pinch hitter who can fill in for a few innings. Bernal is not ML ready yet. It's too early to act like we have a surplus.
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 16:52 pm
I think it's a little early to be talking about surplus catchers.
Isn’t that what good orgs do? Beat teams to the punch and flip players? They have needs (gaping holes) that need to be addressed. Most of their top players are years away. Why fight it the timing isn’t there.
Crooks has yet to establish himself as the everyday catcher. Ivan isn't a catcher. Pages is good enough to hold down the position for a 2d rate team. Pozo is a pinch hitter who can fill in for a few innings. Bernal is not ML ready yet. It's too early to act like we have a surplus.
yep.
now if we want to talk about LHP in all phases of the minors leagues, then YES, we have Surplus there. All my years, I've never seen that many, what looks to be, capable starting LHP. Top to bottom.
I don’t really see them as having a surplus of catching. Pages is a back up catcher no one will trade much for him. Pozo you aren’t getting really anything for him in a trade. Herrera isn’t going to catch or I would be very surprised if he is passable enough to catch. I don’t think Rodriguez sticks at catcher but even if he does he’s a couple of seasons away. The only real catchers they have that might bring anything back are crooks and Bernal and if you trade one of them you’re running the risk of trading the wrong one like thinking you have a surplus of starting pitching so you trade gallen and alcantara or thinking you have a solid outfield and trading arorzorena
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 16:52 pm
I think it's a little early to be talking about surplus catchers.
Isn’t that what good orgs do? Beat teams to the punch and flip players? They have needs (gaping holes) that need to be addressed. Most of their top players are years away. Why fight it the timing isn’t there.
Crooks has yet to establish himself as the everyday catcher. Ivan isn't a catcher. Pages is good enough to hold down the position for a 2d rate team. Pozo is a pinch hitter who can fill in for a few innings. Bernal is not ML ready yet. It's too early to act like we have a surplus.
yep.
now if we want to talk about LHP in all phases of the minors leagues, then YES, we have Surplus there. All my years, I've never seen that many, what looks to be, capable starting LHP. Top to bottom.
Yes. I am amazed at the credible options developing there. It still needs to flesh out, but, there is serious talent at multiple levels. I can't wait to see how the farm plays out this year. I'll be surprised if any farm level struggles like Peoria did last year.
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 16:52 pm
I think it's a little early to be talking about surplus catchers.
Isn’t that what good orgs do? Beat teams to the punch and flip players? They have needs (gaping holes) that need to be addressed. Most of their top players are years away. Why fight it the timing isn’t there.
Crooks has yet to establish himself as the everyday catcher. Ivan isn't a catcher. Pages is good enough to hold down the position for a 2d rate team. Pozo is a pinch hitter who can fill in for a few innings. Bernal is not ML ready yet. It's too early to act like we have a surplus.
yep.
now if we want to talk about LHP in all phases of the minors leagues, then YES, we have Surplus there. All my years, I've never seen that many, what looks to be, capable starting LHP. Top to bottom.
Yes. I am amazed at the credible options developing there. It still needs to flesh out, but, there is serious talent at multiple levels. I can't wait to see how the farm plays out this year. I'll be surprised if any farm level struggles like Peoria did last year.
I expect Palm Beach to be the best team in the FSL...none of the 2025 draft class could hit the ball last year, so they'll all get another chance this year, they'll be 22-24 Years old hitting against 18-19yo wild pitchers. Plus, Padilla and maybe Hunter will be with them. Maybe Mitchell as well.
Palm Beach's pitching should be on another level, too. AD4, Sequrera, Fujardo, Van Dyke, Crossland....Maybe Holiday is finally healthy to debut
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 16:52 pm
I think it's a little early to be talking about surplus catchers.
Isn’t that what good orgs do? Beat teams to the punch and flip players? They have needs (gaping holes) that need to be addressed. Most of their top players are years away. Why fight it the timing isn’t there.
Crooks has yet to establish himself as the everyday catcher. Ivan isn't a catcher. Pages is good enough to hold down the position for a 2d rate team. Pozo is a pinch hitter who can fill in for a few innings. Bernal is not ML ready yet. It's too early to act like we have a surplus.
yep.
now if we want to talk about LHP in all phases of the minors leagues, then YES, we have Surplus there. All my years, I've never seen that many, what looks to be, capable starting LHP. Top to bottom.
Yes. I am amazed at the credible options developing there. It still needs to flesh out, but, there is serious talent at multiple levels. I can't wait to see how the farm plays out this year. I'll be surprised if any farm level struggles like Peoria did last year.
I expect Palm Beach to be the best team in the FSL...none of the 2025 draft class could hit the ball last year, so they'll all get another chance this year, they'll be 22-24 Years old hitting against 18-19yo wild pitchers. Plus, Padilla and maybe Hunter will be with them. Maybe Mitchell as well.
Palm Beach's pitching should be on another level, too. AD4, Sequrera, Fujardo, Van Dyke, Crossland....Maybe Holiday is finally healthy to debut
craviduce wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 15:47 pm
there's not really a surplus. Crooks is the only one of consequence at the Major League level. Bernal is a year behind him, having not seen AAA yet. Rodriguez is 2-3 seasons behind Crooks, and not in Bernal's league defensively.
Also, and this gets overlooked, you want your defensively capable catcher with your best crop of minor league pitchers. Thankfully, this lines up perfectly for Bernal...he gets to catch Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, and possibly Doyle....those pitchers should have a great receiver....not a bunch of minor league rejects behind the plate.
There's not really a road block or clog at catcher until 2027.
The MLB pitching staff loves pitching to Pedro...I'd rather go with Pedro and Crooks in 2026, then trade Crooks in the next offseason and go with Bernal and Pages in 2027. Maybe Crooks starts to hit well....great, then move Burleson in a trade and make Crooks your 1B in 2027. You can't have both Crooks and Bernal as your catchers...They will both hit LH in the majors, slight chance that Bernal continues as a SH, but LH is his best....that makes Bernal and Crooks redundant.
.......anyways, that's my two cents....there's no surplus/backlog...or at least there's no rational reason to move one of those two at this moment. Our pitching future is too important. Don't F with that.
=---------
Edit ~ in fact...I would trade for another catcher we can put in AA. The Campos/Kross experiment has been a disaster so far. We need quality catching at Springfield with Doyle, Lin, Rincon, Savacool, Franklin, Clarke, etc.
As much as a like Adkison and Tarlow...they're not proven starting material.
I disagree. Bloom should trade one of Pages, Crooks or Pozo if it helps bring needed outfield help.
craviduce wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 15:47 pm
there's not really a surplus. Crooks is the only one of consequence at the Major League level. Bernal is a year behind him, having not seen AAA yet. Rodriguez is 2-3 seasons behind Crooks, and not in Bernal's league defensively.
Also, and this gets overlooked, you want your defensively capable catcher with your best crop of minor league pitchers. Thankfully, this lines up perfectly for Bernal...he gets to catch Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, and possibly Doyle....those pitchers should have a great receiver....not a bunch of minor league rejects behind the plate.
There's not really a road block or clog at catcher until 2027.
The MLB pitching staff loves pitching to Pedro...I'd rather go with Pedro and Crooks in 2026, then trade Crooks in the next offseason and go with Bernal and Pages in 2027. Maybe Crooks starts to hit well....great, then move Burleson in a trade and make Crooks your 1B in 2027. You can't have both Crooks and Bernal as your catchers...They will both hit LH in the majors, slight chance that Bernal continues as a SH, but LH is his best....that makes Bernal and Crooks redundant.
.......anyways, that's my two cents....there's no surplus/backlog...or at least there's no rational reason to move one of those two at this moment. Our pitching future is too important. Don't F with that.
=---------
Edit ~ in fact...I would trade for another catcher we can put in AA. The Campos/Kross experiment has been a disaster so far. We need quality catching at Springfield with Doyle, Lin, Rincon, Savacool, Franklin, Clarke, etc.
As much as a like Adkison and Tarlow...they're not proven starting material.
I disagree. Bloom should trade one of Pages, Crooks or Pozo if it helps bring needed outfield help.
None of these players should be traded for ‘outfield help.’
craviduce wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 15:47 pm
there's not really a surplus. Crooks is the only one of consequence at the Major League level. Bernal is a year behind him, having not seen AAA yet. Rodriguez is 2-3 seasons behind Crooks, and not in Bernal's league defensively.
Also, and this gets overlooked, you want your defensively capable catcher with your best crop of minor league pitchers. Thankfully, this lines up perfectly for Bernal...he gets to catch Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, and possibly Doyle....those pitchers should have a great receiver....not a bunch of minor league rejects behind the plate.
There's not really a road block or clog at catcher until 2027.
The MLB pitching staff loves pitching to Pedro...I'd rather go with Pedro and Crooks in 2026, then trade Crooks in the next offseason and go with Bernal and Pages in 2027. Maybe Crooks starts to hit well....great, then move Burleson in a trade and make Crooks your 1B in 2027. You can't have both Crooks and Bernal as your catchers...They will both hit LH in the majors, slight chance that Bernal continues as a SH, but LH is his best....that makes Bernal and Crooks redundant.
.......anyways, that's my two cents....there's no surplus/backlog...or at least there's no rational reason to move one of those two at this moment. Our pitching future is too important. Don't F with that.
=---------
Edit ~ in fact...I would trade for another catcher we can put in AA. The Campos/Kross experiment has been a disaster so far. We need quality catching at Springfield with Doyle, Lin, Rincon, Savacool, Franklin, Clarke, etc.
As much as a like Adkison and Tarlow...they're not proven starting material.
I disagree. Bloom should trade one of Pages, Crooks or Pozo if it helps bring needed outfield help.
Where is the information coming from that Raniel Rodriguez is not a good defensive catcher? The worst I've seen is "average" defensively but with a strong arm, good caught stealing %s, and a lot of time to improve.
Simple stats show he's thrown out 31% of baserunners, well over MLB average of 21%.
Scouting report from Baseball America shows that: "He has a good chance to stick behind the plate and could make large strides as a receiver and framer in the coming years."
Currenlty they say his future is "Rodriguez is one of the highest upside prospects in the game. If it all clicks, he could be an all-star-level bat with average catcher defense."
The manager at Palm Beach, Gary Kendall, said: "“What I see first of all is a guy who is very meticulous about everything he does,” Kendall said. “He’s very mature for his age. He’s very focused, he’s very driven. He’s loaded with strength and is very athletic." https://stlsportspage.com/2025/07/07/th ... prospects/
craviduce wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 15:47 pm
there's not really a surplus. Crooks is the only one of consequence at the Major League level. Bernal is a year behind him, having not seen AAA yet. Rodriguez is 2-3 seasons behind Crooks, and not in Bernal's league defensively.
Also, and this gets overlooked, you want your defensively capable catcher with your best crop of minor league pitchers. Thankfully, this lines up perfectly for Bernal...he gets to catch Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, and possibly Doyle....those pitchers should have a great receiver....not a bunch of minor league rejects behind the plate.
There's not really a road block or clog at catcher until 2027.
The MLB pitching staff loves pitching to Pedro...I'd rather go with Pedro and Crooks in 2026, then trade Crooks in the next offseason and go with Bernal and Pages in 2027. Maybe Crooks starts to hit well....great, then move Burleson in a trade and make Crooks your 1B in 2027. You can't have both Crooks and Bernal as your catchers...They will both hit LH in the majors, slight chance that Bernal continues as a SH, but LH is his best....that makes Bernal and Crooks redundant.
.......anyways, that's my two cents....there's no surplus/backlog...or at least there's no rational reason to move one of those two at this moment. Our pitching future is too important. Don't F with that.
=---------
Edit ~ in fact...I would trade for another catcher we can put in AA. The Campos/Kross experiment has been a disaster so far. We need quality catching at Springfield with Doyle, Lin, Rincon, Savacool, Franklin, Clarke, etc.
As much as a like Adkison and Tarlow...they're not proven starting material.
I disagree. Bloom should trade one of Pages, Crooks or Pozo if it helps bring needed outfield help.
None of these players should be traded for ‘outfield help.’
Outfield help should be through FA, like May was.
Edit: maybe Pozo
It did create some curiosity to say Herrera will will get an opportunity and to also sign Pozo.
IF Herrera is really getting a shot then there's either 3
C's again on MLB or 2 are kept at AAA
ClassicO wrote: ↑28 Dec 2025 21:35 pm
Where is the information coming from that Raniel Rodriguez is not a good defensive catcher? The worst I've seen is "average" defensively but with a strong arm, good caught stealing %s, and a lot of time to improve.
Simple stats show he's thrown out 31% of baserunners, well over MLB average of 21%.
Scouting report from Baseball America shows that: "He has a good chance to stick behind the plate and could make large strides as a receiver and framer in the coming years."
Currenlty they say his future is "Rodriguez is one of the highest upside prospects in the game. If it all clicks, he could be an all-star-level bat with average catcher defense."
The manager at Palm Beach, Gary Kendall, said: "“What I see first of all is a guy who is very meticulous about everything he does,” Kendall said. “He’s very mature for his age. He’s very focused, he’s very driven. He’s loaded with strength and is very athletic." https://stlsportspage.com/2025/07/07/th ... prospects/
The mlb scouting report says elevators question how his arm strength will play at higher levels and he is a work in progress behind the plate
