Burning questions for Cardinals, part 1: Who is the catcher in 2023?

It's not Yadi and can't be Knizner solo, so who masks up next year in red?

This just in. The St. Louis Cardinals are NOT rebuilding. 

It's not happening this year, next year, or the next. The Cardinals don't rebuild like the Pirates and Reds; they snag a player or two, make a run, try to get in, and give off the idea that the World Series is possible. So, as I get into the four or five things this team needs to figure out before 2023 kicks off, please dismiss the idea of this team stripping down. 

What they need are a couple players, or one very big talent. The Albert Pujols farewell tour became a chase for 700, which will allow the Cards and Bill DeWitt Jr. to scoop up a bevy of cash. Don't forget about the Yadier Molina merchandise that flew off the rack. There aren't many times where two franchise legends step off the field in the same season. 

Their active/total payroll in 2022 was $170, following a total payroll of $180 in 2021. They routinely spend in the $160 million range or higher. This is where you dispense with the "they don't spend money" bullshit campaign. They do spend, but not always with the wisest of gauges. 

Let's go over the names. They offered Miami the best batch of prospects and were willing to take on Giancarlo Stanton's entire contract; he said no. They offered David Price a sweet contract, and got outbid by the Boston Red Sox. They gave Paul Goldschmidt a nice sweetener extension after trading for him. The Cards gave Nolan Arenado a little extra cash (that they got from Colorado during the trade) before this past season. 

But they also signed Dexter Fowler and Brett Cecil to ill-fated contracts. They opted to sign Corey Dickerson instead of going all in on Kyle Schwarber, but they didn't fall for the one year explosion of Tyler O'Neill last winter. With any team, it's a give and take ordeal. You win some, lose some, and hopefully come out even on most of the rest. 

Without further delay, let's get into the FIVE areas of prime need for the Cardinals.

Who is your catcher?

Molina is staying retired, folks. He's burnt out, tired of the grind, and went out as the last Cardinal who got a hit in the playoffs. First off, Andrew Knizner isn't the option unless they go crazy at another position. He's not particularly slick on defense, and his bat is very limited. 2022 did give him a chance to shine, and the overall results weren't appetizing. Ivan Herrera isn't ready to be a backup just yet, so you keep Knizner in that slot for next season. 

The catcher position in free agency doesn't look great. The Cards can lean on defense and get Gold Glove winner Tucker Barnhart to pair with Knizner, or they can go big and sign Willson Contreras. The former Cub would be a bat signing, even if Contreras' glove work isn't atrocious. Barnhart's career OPS+ of 82 (100 is average) doesn't excite the slugging crowd, but he does own two G.G. trophies. 

Once again, you can go cheaper here if you find offense elsewhere. Plug in Knizner if the front office springs for Trea Turner. (They will not, because Turner’s going to be issued an expensive qualifying offer.) You can't ask for another Yadi, but you need someone who can scrape the most out of a pitching staff. This team needs offense. They have to find runs. 2022 launched them out of the playoffs due to three total runs being scored. 2020 and 2021 followed the same playbook. 2019 saw their bats go lifeless in the NLCS against Washington. 

When you get past Contreras, there’s 2-4 catchers out there who could help in a positive (as in positive WAR) type of way. Those options are as follows:

~Christian Vazquez, 31 years old, 1.6 WAR. Once upon a time, Vazquez hit 23 homers in a season. That happened once and he is slightly below average offensively, but a plus defender.

~Mike Zunino, 32 years old, 4.5 WAR in 2021. Zunino is coming off a two-year contract worth $9 million in Tampa, and he is a Florida native. He’s coming off an injury plagued 2022 campaign.

~Omar Narvaez, 30 years old, 1.1 WAR in 2022. Like Zunino, Omar would like to forget his 2022 offensive performance. Maybe the Cards forget about him for 2023.

~Gary Sanchez, 29 years old, 1.3 WAR in 2022. The former Yankees catcher blasted 30+ HR each season in 2018 and 2019, but his power has dipped since. Take his lefty bat out of that short porch heaven in New York, and he may be a Busch casualty.

Now, I could go on with the rest of my five burning questions, but I want to spread out this coverage... like a seasoned sportswriter would do. See you tomorrow for the second need, which could have to do with pitching.