Cardinals Should Take Advantage Of Logical Trade Opportunity With NL Central Rival

St. Louis might have what the division foe is looking for

May 12, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera (48) celebrate a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are only eight games away from the end of their season and will need to start thinking about how they'll attack free agency.

There are plenty of different ways things could go for the 11-time World Series champions this offseason and hopefully, St. Louis' front office will make the right additions to put the team in a position to win come Opening Day.

One way the Cardinals can improve their chances of turning things around in 2025 is by trading a former top prospect, who would be an ideal suitor for a National League Central foe.

"The (Chicago) Cubs should continue searching for a long-term catching option," FanSided's Robert Murray wrote Friday when discussing Chicago's offseason agenda.

Fortunately, the Cardinals have two backup catchers ready to take that next step and be another franchise's leading man behind the plate.

Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés emerged this year when Wilson Contreras was sidelined in May for a broken left forearm and, most recently, a broken middle finger. Both alternated as the club's starting catcher in the three-time All-Star's absence.

Herrera is batting .288 with 14 extra-base hits including three home runs, 23 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 67 games played for St. Louis this season.

Comparatively, Herrara's stats are slightly more impressive than Pagés's but it should also be considered that the former debuted in 2022, while the latter's first appearance in a big-league game was this season.

Pagés is hitting .232 with 10 extra-base hitts including six home runs, 23 RBIs and a .631 OPS in 63 games played for the Cardinals in 2024.

Both young catchers have shown great strides of improvement this season and with the increased availability of playing time, they should be ready to endure a full season behind the plate at the major league level.

Perhaps the Cardinals could trade one of them for a haul of prospects or even some offensive help. Having two backup catchers ready to start doesn't make much sense and St. Louis should try to take advantage of its surplus by negotiating a trade with its biggest rival this winter.

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