Cardinals Had Ulterior Motives Behind Moving Willson Contreras To 1st Base: Report

The St. Louis Cardinals surprised everyone when they decided to move three-time All-Star Willson Contreras from catcher to first base earlier this offseason.

Contreras became the heir apparent to Cardinals legendary catcher Yadier Molina after his 2022 retirement. However, the former Chicago Cubs slugger will step aside from his main position to allow youngsters Pedro Pagés and Iván Herrera to fight for the spot.

A recent report by an insider close to the Cardinals indicates that Pagés and Herrera's developments as big-league catchers aren't the only reasons Contreras stepped down from his role behind the plate.

"(Cardinals) president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said recently the club moved Willson Contreras to 1B not only because Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés are ready but also because of the progress of Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal," MLB.com's Cardinals beat writer John Denton reported Friday morning. "Both will start in today’s Spring Breakout (12:10 PM ET/11:10 AM CT)."

Cardinals top prospects Crooks (No. 4) and Bernal (No. 7) have shown immense potential throughout their short careers in St. Louis' farm system. With Herrera and Pagés leading the way as the franchise's next catcher, it's safe to say the club's future behind the plate is in a solid position.

Crooks has batted .290 with 82 extra-base hits including 26 home runs, 142 RBIs and a .844 OPS throughout his three-year minor-league career, during which he played for Single-A Palm Beach, High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield.

Last season with Double-A Springfield was Crooks' best. Considering he's only 23 years old, there's likely still plenty of development left for the young catcher to accomplish but with how competitive the Cardinals catcher's position is, it might not be long before St. Louis gives him a chance.

Bernal has batted .253 with 81 extra-base hits including 26 home runs, 159 RBIs and a .735 OPS throughout his four-year minor-league career, during which he played for the Dominican Summer League Cardinals, Single-A Palm Beach, High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield.

The 21-year-old was promoted to Double-A Springfield toward the end of last season but logged only 14 games played, so it's safe to say Bernal is far from earning his big-league debut with the Cardinals. Still, the Panama native is a well-rounded switch-hitting backstop whose development should be closely monitored.

Herrera and Pagés will continue to battle it out for the Cardinals' starting catcher's job this season but if all else fails, St. Louis has a solid pair of backups in Crooks and Bernal, who could be next in line to assume the backstop position.

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