Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera Question Will Loom Large This Winter

Sep 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (48) at bat against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera Question Will Loom Large This Winter

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 22, 2026 4:00 PM ET

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When the offseason arrives for the St. Louis Cardinals, arguably the most intriguing player to watch will be catcher/designated hitter Iván Herrera.

Last offseason, the Cardinals traded Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray away. This summer, Lars Nootbaar, Dustin May and JoJo Romero were dealt away as well. At the time, Herrera was also talked about as a potential trade chip, but St. Louis decided to hold onto him. Arguably, this was the right call at the time. But will the Cardinals make the same decision this winter? That's why he's going to be the most intriguing player on the roster to follow.

Herrera has shown that he can be among the better right-handed hitters in the game. He batted .301 in 2024 in 72 games and .284 in 2025 in 107 games. Last year, he bashed 19 homers in a breakout season, although he dealt with some injuries. This year, Herrera earned the first All-Star nod of his career. Overall, he has played in a career high 155 games and is slashing .247/.358/.388 with a .746 OPS, 18 home runs, 68 RBIs, eight stolen bases, 26 doubles and 95 runs scored.

Could Iván Herrera Be On The Move?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Offensively, it's clear what he can do. He has legit pop, doesn't strike out much, and can hit for average, despite the fact that he has taken a step back in 2026 in that department. But there are real questions about a fit positionally for him.

The Cardinals have already made it clear that Leo Bernal will be the incumbent catcher heading into Spring Training. Bernal has been great since his promotion both offensively and defensively. The big difference here is Bernal's defense. Bernal is significantly better defensively already than Herrera. Pedro Pagés also is better defensively than Herrera. With Bernal in line for a bigger role and Pagés under team control beyond the 2026 season. Plus, with Jimmy Crooks and Rainiel Rodríguez down in the minors, there's reason to believe that there is so much catching talent in the organization that Herrera may not have a big role behind the plate.

So, then do you keep the 26-year-old as someone who pretty much just gets time as a designated hitter? Or, do you look to move him for prospects?

This all depends on how long the Cardinals think it will take to get back into contention. St. Louis has traded seven legit veteran players away dating back to last offseason. Herrera has three seasons of team control left and could bring back a pretty penny, if the Cardinals opted to listen to offers.

Throughout the summer, Herrera was talked about as a potential trade chip before the deadline. It's not out of the question that this buzz will come back. But will the Cardinals make the same decision as they did this summer and keep him? That's going to be one of the topics of the offseason.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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