Are Cardinals 'Fed Up' With Promising Young Catcher?

The St. Louis Cardinals have quite a bit of young talent on their roster. Among the young talent that's burst onto the scene this season is catcher Iván Herrera.

Herrera has hit the cover off the ball and proved the Cardinals to be right for moving Willson Contreras to first base. Having both Herrera and Contreras in the lineup has been great for the Cardinals. But Herrera's backup hasn't enjoyed the same success.

Zachary Howell of Clutch Points recently suggested the Cardinals were "fed up" with young catcher Pedro Pagés.

"The Cardinals have two different young options at catcher. Both Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera have had cracks at playing behind the plate," Howell wrote. "However, Herrera has enjoyed far more success for the Cardinals.

"Pages is a homegrown player who developed in the Cardinals’ system. However, there isn’t enough playing time for him and Herrera, especially if he isn’t producing. St. Louis could move Pages to bring in a veteran that can help elsewhere or sweeten the pot in an Arenado deal. If St. Louis ends up going that route, Herrera will receive more consistent playing time, pleasing fans."

Pagés was fine during Herrera's time with an injury. But on the season, the 26-year-old is slashing .220/.254/.358 with limited walks and limited power. It's getting to the point where he's nearly unplayable in the lineup, even as a defense first catcher.

The Cardinals have prospect catcher Jimmy Crooks in Triple-A. He's one of the team's best prospects and has shown a lot of potential over the last few years. The young prospect isn't crushing the ball at Triple-A right now, which is probably the only reason the Cardinals continue to roster Pagés. Once Crooks finds his stride in the minor leagues again, the Cardinals may call him up and option the aforementioned Pagés.