Cardinals Rising Star reportedly attracts trade interest; offers being considered

The St. Louis Cardinals survived this year’s trade deadline without having to sacrifice much of their future or fire away the club’s top free agents.

Losing Tommy Edman may have been a tough blow for St. Louis, but fortunately he’s the only notable player the Cardinals have traded so far.

However, that could soon change as recent reports indicate that several clubs are interested in bringing a young and inspiring Cardinals player to St. Louis.

“The other player getting the most attention from teams?” The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported Tuesday when discussing who the Cardinals could still trade on the final day of the trade deadline. “Backup catcher Iván Herrera. He’s not necessarily on the block, but given the astronomical cost of relief pitching this deadline, (John) Mozeliak will certainly listen to the right offer.”

Herrera has a .279 batting average with 10 extra-base hits, including three home runs, 19 RBIs and a .718 OPS in 54 games played for St. Louis this season.

The 24-year-old stepped up to the plate after Wilson Contreras broke his arm earlier this season, leaving the Cardinals without a catcher. Both Herrera and Pedro Pagés took turns behind the plate and played better than people might have expected.

The Panama-born catcher has just a .269/.340/.352 slash line with 24 RBIs and 61 hits in just 78 games played for St. Louis since making his debut in 2022.

The Cardinals have certainly seen Herrera improve this season and now could be the right time to get the most out of a deal.

With Contreras seemingly the next franchise catcher, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto two young catchers who are both primed to be a club’s starting catcher. So why not try trading one of the surplus catchers to acquire a high-leverage reliever?

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