One Young Cardinals Player To Build Around and One To Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals have developed a solid young core for the future, but not every young player is guaranteed to be there for the long haul.

Aug 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) walks back to the dugout after scoring against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals dove into a full-scale rebuild last offseason, trading away established stars like Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado to bolster their farm system and focus on developing young talent.

Despite St. Louis' surprising success earlier in the season, the organization wisely stuck to its plan at the trade deadline and focused on rebuilding rather than short-term success. The Cardinals dealt veteran pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero on expiring contracts, along with Lars Nootbaar, to further bolster their farm system.

With St. Louis selling off established players over the past year, fans got to see plenty of the team's young players take on a more prominent role this season, with mixed results. Players like Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt have solidified their place as cornerstones of the team's future, but there have been other players who are not as successful.

One position where St. Louis appears to be flush with young talent is catcher. The Cardinals have All-Star Iván Herrera, who splits time at catcher and designated hitter and made 52 starts behind the plate this year. The team also has Pedro Pagés, Jimmy Crooks and No. 4 prospect Leo Bernal on their roster. With how stacked St. Louis is at catcher, the team should consider building around Bernal and trading Crooks this offseason.

St. Louis should be building around Bernal

Sep 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal (13) reacts at the end of the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bernal emerged as a potential core piece for the Cardinals' future. The 22-year-old was called up to the big leagues later on in the season, and in 24 games, he slashed .284/.333/.474 with five home runs and 21 runs batted in. Bernal's premier defense and elite arm strength in consideration, he profiles as a solid two-way catcher.

Crooks, on the other hand, has struggled immensely over the past two seasons. The 25-year-old appeared in 52 games for the Cardinals this season, but he dreadfully slashed .179/.255/.336 with five home runs and 14 RBIs. Crooks was demoted to Triple-A at the end of August, but he's under team control through the 2031 season and has had a strong showing in Triple-A, which should increase his value for a team seeking depth at catcher.

St. Louis has a crowded pipeline at catcher, and the team could use a combination of Herrera, Bernal, Pagés and even top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez. Bernal should be the catcher St. Louis builds around, but with such a crowded catching group, it would make sense for the Cardinals to flip a young, expendable catcher like Crooks to fill a different need or bolster their farm system.