Cardinals Former Top Prospect's Days In St. Louis May Be Numbered

The St. Louis Cardinals sound open to a big move involving one of the club's catchers.

Jun 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) reacts after hitting a one run single against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have a surplus of talent in the catcher department and it sounds like there is interest in at least one of the club's backstops in the trade market already this offseason.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis has fielded trade interest in its catchers and Jimmy Crooks is someone to watch.

"With fewer free-agents catchers available than there is interest in adding a catcher, the Cardinals are fielding interest from teams about their depth," Goold wrote. "They have committed to rookie Leo Bernal as their starter, and they see Pedro Pages as a reliable backup for Bernal who also has the trust of the pitching staff. There is interest from other teams in prospect and left-handed hitter Jimmy Crooks and other clubs are looking for that presence that Pages brings at catcher."

Why Jimmy Crooks Makes Sense As A Trade Chip

Aug 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) looks on after hitting a 2-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Crooks is someone who hasn't been able to get his bat going in the majors just yet, but he has plenty of upside and with a limited market in free agency for catchers, St. Louis could certainly cash in. Crooks is just 25 years old and he was the Cardinals' No. 4 prospect in 2025. Over the last two seasons, Crooks played in just 67 total games in the majors. That's not enough to truly judge him yet. He batted .168 in the majors over those 67 games with six homers. In comparison, in 2026, Crooks played in 52 games in Triple-A and slashed .300/.432/.574 with a 1.006 OPS, 15 home runs and 38 RBIs. The talent is there. Now, he needs opportunity.

That may not come in St. Louis because the organization is loaded and Leo Bernal is a star in the making. Plus, let's not forget about top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez. But someone could use Crooks and that would be for the best for St. Louis. If the Cardinals could flip him in a deal for a prospect in another area that may not be a strength, that would be for the best. The Cardinals have done a good job adding pitching prospects over the last few years, but you can never have enough pitching.

If a club is willing to part ways with a high-end pitching prospect, or even a hurler who already is in the majors, that would be for the best for the Cardinals.

Crooks has plenty of talent. Keep an eye on him moving forward, Cardinals fans.