ST. LOUIS -- Despite his struggles in throwing out runners and the physical encumbrances which have left most of his breakout 2025 season spent as a designated hitter, the Cardinals intend for Iván Herrera to spend his winter working to come to Spring Training as a catcher.
That decision, which Herrera has long spoken out in support of, came after a conversation between Herrera, Oliver Marmol and incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom in which the three discussed what needs to be done on Herrera’s end to make his return to catching a realistic possibility.
“He’s committed to that,” Marmol said ahead of Saturday’s game against the Brewers. “There’s a combination of what the throwing program needs to look like from Day One all the way through, coming in ready. But also, there’s two parts of this -- the arm strength and also the preparation on the game-calling and just everything that goes with that. There’s a real commitment and desire to do that, from Iván and from us … coming alongside him and walking through this.”
Herrera has emerged as one of the Cardinals’ most potent offensive weapons this season, posting a team-leading .816 OPS and hitting 16 homers while playing in just 99 of the team’s first 154 games. The 55 games he missed came as the result of a strained left knee suffered in Boston in April and a strained left hamstring suffered while visiting the White Sox in June.
His last appearance behind the plate was that June 19 game in Chicago, and upon his return from the IL in July, Marmol explained that the team planned to keep him playing catcher for the remainder of the season in an attempt to keep him healthy and productive at the plate. Pedro Pagés, Yohel Pozo and Jimmy Crooks have handled the catching in his stead, and with all three under team control for next season, there was some question regarding whether there was a need for Herrera to move back to catching.
He did receive exposure in the outfield, making his first four professional appearances in left field in July and August. His last outing there, however, was on Aug. 13, with the Cardinals preferencing playing time for their other outfielders ahead of getting Herrera additional exposure.
Over the past two seasons, he’s been one of the most offensively productive catchers in the Majors while behind the plate, but he’s also been one of the easiest to steal on; opposing baserunners have gone 70-for-74 on stolen-base attempts since the beginning of last season. Those struggles, too, are a big part of what Herrera must overcome to establish himself behind the plate.
“There’s a real curriculum that’s been put together for him to follow and build upon,” Marmol said. “It’s a very hands-on approach.”
Catching coordinator Ethan Goforth will be part of the group in charge of that approach this winter, as will other coaches from throughout the organization. What’s unclear as of yet is where the instruction will take place; construction and refurbishments at the team’s facility in Jupiter, Fla. are underway, limiting some access to facilities and forcing Herrera and his teammates to look elsewhere for winter training facilities ahead of the opening of Spring Training.
Marmol also acknowledged that Herrera has been playing through an unspecified injury in his throwing shoulder, but declined to get into specifics or describe what sort of treatment plan might be necessary. That minor injury has played a part in Herrera’s inability to get his arm into a proper throwing position, limiting his defense even further than it might otherwise have been.
“I think out of fairness, this should play out throughout spring,” Marmol opined, opening the possibility that the Cardinals could open camp in 2026 with a glut of catchers all vying for playing time among their big league group. Still, given the tools each has flashed this season, there’s a continued desire to work through those options, test each thoroughly, and settle on a tandem that can be a part of getting St. Louis back to serious contention.
“It’s going to be an important offseason for [Herrera],” Marmol said. “But as we go into it, it’s with the full expectation of him doing this well and having an opportunity to catch.”