Cardinals Veteran Just Waiting to Be Replaced by Jimmy Crooks After Slow Start

The Cardinals could elevate Jimmy Crooks to the big leagues, given the struggles at catcher this year.

Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) signals to the pitcher in a game against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals opted for a rebuild during the offseason, which is exciting for a few reasons, but it's also a bit crushing for the fan base. The Cardinals are seemingly committing to losing for a year or two while they adjust their roster from a team full of veterans to a team full of young prospects.

This year, the Cardinals have a few young prospects on the roster right now, but there are some struggling veterans still in St. Louis. While the season is still young, the Cardinals could look to elevate one of their top prospects to take the place of a struggling veteran.

Yohel Pozo has struggled to begin the season

Apr 14, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Yohel Pozo (63) reacts after hitting a game tying one run double against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Cardinals have one of the deepest catching rooms in all of MLB. They have a few big league catchers, including Iván Herrera, who's caught seven games this season. They also have Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo on the big league roster.

Pozo is the weak link of the group. He's a solid role player, but with the Cardinals' depth, they don't need him in the big leagues. In 6 games and 15 at-bats, the veteran catcher has two hits, one double, and three RBI. He holds a -5 OPS+.

Pozo doesn't have a high ceiling either, as his career WAR is negative. His career OPS+ is 78, which is well below the league average.

Jimmy Crooks is knocking on the door of a big league call up

Sep 8, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) bumps fists with catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) following the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

And the Cardinals have the perfect catching prospect in the minor leagues who could come up and take his spot.

Catching prospect Jimmy Crooks has been one of the best offensive players for the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate. Crooks is slashing .295/.415/.591 with an OPS over 1.000 and four home runs. He's an excellent defender, grading out as one of the best defensive catching prospects in the game.

Adding Crooks to the roster over Pozo would give the Cardinals an upgrade on defense. But it would also provide them with an upgrade on offense.

This would allow Herrera to slot in at designated hitter more often than anything while Crooks handles a lot of the catching duties, as he would be a big defensive upgrade.