According to recent reports, the New York Yankees are all over this year’s catching market–and that’s come to include St. Louis Cardinals’ backstop, Ivan Herrera.
Herrera, 26, was a first-time All-Star this season and has all the tools to be a legitimate MLB bat for years to come.
In his first year with real runway behind the dish, Herrera has a slash line of .242/.362/.377. Good for an OPS of .739 and an OPS+ of 111.
On the defensive side of the baseball, Herrera is a work in progress. He struggles to block the ball and may very well be the worst catcher in baseball at throwing out basestealers. It’d be the Yankees’ hope that they could aid his improvement as a defender for him to be a long-term option.
The Cardinals’ incentive to trade Herrera comes from organizational depth. With a plethora of catchers in the minors, including Raniel Rodriguez, Ryan Campos, Leo Bernal, and even young catcher Jimmy Crooks at the MLB level, St. Louis has a ton of talent to sort through.
Young pitchers are what the Redbirds need, and a trade would likely involve Ryan Weathers, Will Warren, or another top prospect hurler in the Yankees’ system.
Herrera, at bare minimum, could form a nice platoon with either Austin Wells or JC Escarra. As a Cardinal, the 2026 All-Star has found a majority of his success against southpaws anyway, and a platoon role could position him better for success.
The Yankees will need to be active at this year’s deadline with a recent slew of injuries. As it stands, New York is without Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt.
In a recent post on X by @firesideyankees, they highlighted the Bronx Bombers’ interest in Herrera.
They wrote: “The Yankees have shown interest in Cardinals’ catcher Ivan Herrera per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.”
Fans seem intrigued by the prospect of gaining Herrera in New York. As for St. Louis, their fans aren’t very happy.
Social Media Reacts to Yankees/Cardinals Ivan Herrera Rumors
Here’s what people are saying:
@Moburner314: “Y’all wanted Arenado and Goldy and Bader and Voit and Matt Carpenter and Brendan Donovan, like good god.”
Moccbomb: “Sources: #Yankees and #Cardinals have had preliminary discussions on C Ivan Herrera, although there are concerns internally within the #Yankees front office in regards to his defensive abilities behind the dish. Something to keep an eye on as he’d be a great fit in that lineup. Also know they’ve discussed Ryne Stanek and JoJo Romero. #MoccBomb.”
Augie Nash: “Ivan Herrera may be on the radar of a few teams, with the Yankees and Red Sox being mentioned. Are you open to trading Herrera?”
STL Sports Central: “Ivan Herrera has drawn interest from ‘at least’ the Yankees and Red Sox, per Jorge Castillo. Under control through the 2029 season, he has posted a 111 wRC+ in 106 games this year #STLCards.”
AJ Stone: “#stlcards should be all over Emerson Hancock now that the Mariners have made him available. Would you part ways with Ivan Herrera in a deal? I lean yes, but could see both sides.”
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