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Maybe we are getting more realistic with the wealth of catchers narrative. We’ve got 3 up so far and none are going to fly. Bernal up next.
Wasn’t expecting this!
Jimmy Crooks' player page on MLB dot com reflects that he has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis. pic.twitter.com/b1HjaKxGRT
— Brenden Schaeffer🎳 (@bschaeffer12) August 31, 2026
4 catchers is just too many to manage the playing time. Bernal has earned a shot and Crooks hasn’t earned his keep. I’m curious if Scott comes back up as the 28th man then.
The problem with the catching situation from the start was that Crooks, a top 10 prospect before he was called up in May, was forced to fight for playing time with a non-prospect catcher and a former prospect catcher who can’t throw.
The whole situation was doomed to fail and was total nonsense. So now another top prospect is being brought up to compete in the same situation. Perhaps he will fare better, but the situation was dumb from the beginning.
I have said all along and will maintain my position that Herrera should be moved off catcher and Pages should not even be on the roster. The best catching situation is two catchers and two catchers only. Crooks and Bernal should be allowed to compete with each other, which is a fairer situation for both of them.
Marilyn you forget the wonks are in charge not baseball guys. Get the bats in the lineup any which way. Defense doesn’t matter, intangibles don’t even exist. Showing up at the park each day with no idea what you will be doing is fine. I know I love that at work. They are machines.
I like these moves. Let’s give Crooks some AAA at bats. Maybe he can catch fire and help Memphis with their playoff run. Let’s try Bernal out. He doesn’t strike out like Crooks. This will give Bernal a leg up for next year. Rincon had a rough start at Memphis, but his era is around 2.25 the last few months. We just don’t have any other ready relief prospects doing well.
Well, Bling, I am not a “baseball guy” and I could see plain as day that the circumstances were untenable. Maybe Crooks was not going to work out regardless, but we will never know for sure because of the ridiculous scenario he was thrown into.
I remember an article Katie Woo and others wrote around the deadline where they said that the team admitted that Herrera’s future was not at catcher, but they kept this crazy setup going anyway. Why?
Are they going to do the same dumb thing when it’s Rainiel Rodriguez’ turn? Or any other catcher in the system for that matter.
Anyway, Crooks is back with Memphis, to help them in the playoffs (which probably won’t matter since second half Memphis is not a good team and will likely be massacred by whichever team they play)
Cardinal 27, it would be much better for Bernal if he doesn’t have to compete with Herrera and Pages. I like Bernal and he may be the better catcher over Crooks. He wasn’t when both were in Springfield, but Bernal has played better in Memphis.
Like I said, the best situation is for both Bernal and Crooks to compete and for the other two to not be in the picture. It is fairer for Bernal.
With Bernal being a switch hitter he doesn’t have to be platooned. I’d give Bernal most of reps dhing him against lefties. Let Herrera catch a few games. Pages should play sparingly, or sent down if they nave an injury.
Are they going to do the same dumb thing when it’s Rainiel Rodriguez’ turn?
What they do depends upon whether he is actually a catcher.
Well im def glad they sent crooks down. Not anything against him but 4 catchers is too much regardless of anything else. I agree with some that herrera shouldnt catch anymore. Give bernal his full shot.
I agree with some of the assessment in this thread. Yes, Herrera should not be catching at all. Yes, Crooks or Bernal should be the starter but I think Pages is the perfect backup catcher. He is very good behind the plate and the pitching staff likes him and I think he can be a mentor to whichever rookie is here. He is not an everyday player and shouldn’t be used that way. He also has no ego and will do whatever the team asks of him.
Crooks had his shot and did zilch with the bat. It is Bernal’s turn.
Just saw that from Jeff Jones.
We’ll see whether Memphis helped Scott. Doesn’t seem to have done much for Gorman.
I’ve said all I am going to say about Crooks.
As rosters expand from 26 to 28, the #stlcards added three players from Triple-A and sent another down. Pitcher Hancel Rincon and catcher Leonardo Bernal will be making their MLB debuts. (free) https://t.co/NvEK5bW6AO pic.twitter.com/KU760mqa2k
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) September 1, 2026
I know a lot of people are down on Crooks that were begging for him earlier this season. My how the turn tables turn. The sample size is still way too small for me to give up on Crooks at all. I know he was always touted for his defense and the blocking hasn’t been up to par, but the receiving has been good and while not throwing out the base stealers at a rate we’d like to see has shown a strong arm and has a track record of catching base stealers.
I was all for giving Herrera more time behind the plate going into the season, and I’m now on the “he needs to learn a new position” train. I don’t know what position that is though and fear he could be a DH only type unless he can learn 3B.
I think defensively Bernal will be great, hope his offense can play. I still say Pages will be the odd man out going forward and go with Bernal and Crooks at catcher. Bernal can play vs all LHP and split time vs RHP. Bernal has good splits, generating more power with his RH swing and most scouting reports say he has more power from the right side and more patient and plate discipline from the left side. And then Rainiel is coming fast, but can he play enough defense to justify leaving him behind the plate? Can he learn to play 3B as hinted at some?As for Scott, I have zero expectations. I never like a prospects who’s only elite skill set is speed. Unless he can make significantly more contact they need to move on from him faster than Gorman. Which by the way Scott still only had a 8% BB rate and 19% K rate in AAA, was 8% and 24% at the MLB level this season.
Maybe Crooks will go down and Scott comes back.
Bernal up Crooks down. Much better move than for ScottIII. With the younger OF prospects coming up it seems Scott will likely lose his spot on the 40-man. If he goes he goes….. no big loss and it opens up a spot for a guy with more potential. Scott is more or less a AAA player at best…. and he is struggling there.
I’ve always preferred Bernal over Crooks. Crooks just happened to be a level ahead most years. The return of Scott doesn’t thrill me. He will be given another chance. In the lower minors he bunted quite a bit. He should try that more often.
Bernal up Crooks down. Much better move than for ScottIII.
Remember that rosters are now at 28 so V. Scott can still be called up.
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