Cardinals Rookie Surprisingly Could Be Traded This Summer

The St. Louis Cardinals have a decision to make behind the plate.

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) reacts after hitting a two run double against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This past spring, catcher was a significant talking point around the St. Louis Cardinals.

Iván Herrera was working his way back and looking to get back behind the plate. Pedro Pagés got a lot of time last year and looked like he could be a depth option. Then, of course, Jimmy Crooks was in the mix as well. Crooks had a cup of coffee in the majors last season and entered the season as one of the club's top overall prospects, but behind fellow catcher prospects Rainiel Rodriguez and Leo Bernal.

With three elite catcher prospects, plus Herrera and Pagés, it was logical to think that the club would give Crooks a shot to see what they have in him. Initially, the Cardinals started him down in Triple-A with Pagés, Herrera and Yohel Pozo on the big league roster. Eventually, Crooks did enough down in Triple-A to earn a trip to the big leagues, but he has struggled since. He has played in 34 games and is slashing .171/.261/.317 with a .578 OPS, three homers and nine RBIs. Now, with the trade deadline quickly approaching, it seems like Crooks at least has a chance of leaving the club. While discussing various players who could be on their way out of town this summer, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo said the Cardinals would be "most open" to moving Crooks, among the club's catchers.

It's Going To Be An Eventful Few Days

Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) slides safely past the tag of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Cardinals, though, are exceptionally high on [Iván Herrera] bat, and don’t feel particularly inclined to move him, those executives say," Rosenthal, Woo and Sammon wrote. "The Cardinals are also high on [Pedro Pagés] as a backup, citing his preparedness, game-planning and strong relationship with pitchers. Thus, the catcher the Cardinals would be most open to moving is Crooks, a 25-year-old left-handed hitter who won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2029."

When you have as much catching depth as the Cardinals do, it's going to lead to difficult decisions. For St. Louis, that will be sooner, rather than later.

Right now, Herrera, Crooks and Pagés are all in the majors. Bernal is in Triple-A and is on the doorstep to the big leagues himself. He has played in 80 games this season and is slashing .275/.359/.477 with an .836 OPS, 13 homers and 62 RBIs. If the Cardinals were to trade Crooks away, they could immediately replace him with Bernal.

Plus, even though Crooks has struggled offensively in the majors this season, he is under team control through the 2031 season and is just 25 years old. This is a guy with just 49 games of big league experience under his belt. There surely would be plenty of teams willing to roll the dice on him if available.

Over the last few weeks, there have been plenty of trade rumors swirling around St. Louis, mainly around Dustin May and Ryne Stanek, among others. Add Crooks to that list.