The Cardinals were expected to have a tough decision to make behind the plate this winter, as catcher Iván Herrera was projected to be out of options in 2024. With backstops Willson Contreras and Andrew Knizner also present on the club’s roster, that figured to serve as something of a ticking clock and made Herrera into a speculative trade candidate. However, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch relays that Herrera is eligible for a fourth option year.
A player has three option seasons and burns one by spending 20 days on optional assignment in a given year, which is when they are on the 40-man roster but sent to the minors and not on the active roster. Herrera was added to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster in November of 2020 and has been optioned to the minors in each of the three seasons since, surpassing the 20-day threshold in each year. That is why it was presumed that he would be out of options in 2024 and unable to be sent to the minors without first being put on waivers.
Teams are sometimes granted a fourth option, which is usually due to the player missing extensive time due to injury. However, the specific nature of the fourth option criteria isn’t necessarily related to injury. Per an explanation at MLB.com, a player is eligible for a fourth option if they have exhausted their three options but haven’t yet played five full seasons. A “full” season is defined as 90 days on an active roster, either in the majors or minors.
Herrera’s first two professional seasons saw him mostly play short-season rookie ball in 2017 and 2018, spending less than 90 days active. He was active in the minors for all of 2019 but then the minor leagues were cancelled by the pandemic in 2020, and this seems to be the significant factor. Per Goold, 2020 doesn’t count as a “full” season it therefore appears that Herrera only has four of those “full” seasons as a professional: 2019 and then the three most recent campaigns.
At this point, it’s unclear if the Cardinals have petitioned the league for a fourth option on Herrera or if it will be granted, but it seems as though he meets the criteria. If the option is indeed granted, it could change how the club approaches its offseason.
Herrera is one of the club’s better prospects and has little left to prove in the minors. He has hit .282/.416/.450 at the Triple-A level and also performed well in a small sample of major league action this year. But Contreras is a lock for the starting role, given he signed a five-year, $87.5MM contract less than a year ago. Knizner also had a decent year in a backup role, hitting .241/.288/.424 for a wRC+ of 92. He made $1.1MM this year and would be in line for another arbitration raise, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a 2024 salary of $2.2MM.
Since the Cardinals are openly hoping to find three rotation upgrades this offseason, it had been speculated that they might put Herrera on the trading block in order to help them achieve that goal. That may still prove to be the case, but having an extra option at least opens the possibility of them having those discussions with less urgency since they may be able to keep Herrera in Triple-A for another year. Or perhaps it would add the appeal of Herrera to other clubs, since he might not have to be guaranteed an active roster spot.
It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out this winter, with the Cards looking like they could be one of the more active clubs in the months to come. It’s also possible that there are many more players in the same boat as Herrera, since all of the minor leagues were canceled in 2020 and it would appear that hundreds of players also didn’t get credited with a “full” season for it.
Deleted Userr
Is Jay Groome eligible?
DarkSide830
By my calculations, yes. Looks like he has 4 years at best.
Deleted Userr
Excellent. His days in San Diego are probably numbered but if he has a fourth option year maybe we can actually get something for him.
schwender
That’s interesting because 2020 counted as a year towards Rule 5 eligibility.
FrontOfficeStan
Herrera is the catcher of the future. Contreras has only 3 seasons since 2016 where he caught 100 games, and you think he’s going to be catching more as he ages? He’s not a workhorse. They will split significant time and he will DH and have spot starts either at first or in the OF. It would be an incredibly stupid move to trade Herrera imo, with or without a 4th option year.
Murphy NFLD
I wonder how bad the Jays and the cards want a do over on a catcher outfielder trade before Contreras signed
Deadguy
I don’t think the Cardinals are dying at a chance for Kirk or anyone else from the Jays… Murphy was the guy to get if you weren’t gonna sign a one year patch to let Herrera develop into what he was at AAA?
Now they’ve left him in purgatory like Yepez who was clearly also ready for a call up, but also blocked due to bone head 4 year deals for ex Cubs players and spread sheet projecting O’Neil and Bader to be better? What has it cost the club?
Meanwhile the Heir to Slitherine got the Browns looking like they opened the Chamber of secrets?
Deadguy
My biggest problem is they are talking moving Contreras to DH? Wouldn’t luken baker benefit from those at bats?
Friends first, business later…. let me get a Ronald Mcdonald Bow tie for that…
FrontOfficeStan
I don’t think Contreras would be moved to DH exclusively. You would be looking at Herrera and Contreras splitting time. Probably a 90/70 split or somewhere along those lines, with Contreras picking up extra games at DH, or spot starts in the OF or 1B.
meangreandancingmachine
Amen!
Slider_withcheese
They already have a top 5 catcher that would be a hero anywhere other than that city. Wake up and get over the fact that he was a Cub and your cry baby diva Molina retired.
Deadguy
Every ball player who’s ever played retired by 50 if not 45? What’s ur point?
Id rather see Herrera and Knizner? But they like to spend around 55 Million on ex Cubs players to block Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena? Oh yeah they also like to trade two NL cy young award winners to block them also?
But ill keep crying about Molina not playing catcher Till he was 60? What a joke? Are the Orioles blaming my no good dirty rotten pig stealing grandfather yet?
Cause they ought to be if there not!
CardsFan77
I’m sure this comment won’t make a dent slider.. but let’s go for it. Contreras isnt a top 5 catcher… his stats prove that. He is average at best with a power arm that can hit a little bit. Heros don’t play baseball, they run into burning fires to save people or the do something truly HEROIC! Yoy can hate on molina all you want… that’s your right… but the guy was amazing in what he did…
hiflew
Is Ivan Herrera really good enough to acquire a “rotation upgrade” or just wishful thinking? He is not a top 100 prospect, only has one option left at most, and has yet to prove himself in the major leagues. I would think he is more of a change of scenery needed guy like Joey Bart than a legit trade chip.
Four4fore
Trade piece a number of teams would like to have but not enough on his own to bring back the type pitcher they need.
GeronimoSon
Herrera could be packaged with a guy like Carlson to bring back at least a MOR/BOR SP and perhaps a wild card/middle infielder..
Perhaps from the Guardians.. seems like a good fit..
Four4fore
It’s gonna take a Donovan or Edman to move the needle.
CardsFan57
Sign starters while trading spare parts for relievers. Carlson, Yepez, O’Neill, Burleson, and one of Herrera or Knizner are spare parts. Keep the proven players and the promising young players.
Four4fore
The last time the Cardinals outbid the rest of the league it was Steven Matz, before that Andrew Miller so don’t look for too much in the signing market. Also people aren’t trading top talent for spare parts. The type of trades for what they need is gonna hurt.
CardsFan57
You aren’t getting a top starter for Edman or Donovan either. Frankly Arenado is the only one on the team who might get a top of the rotation starter if he approved the trade.
Four4fore
I should have been more clear, Donovan or Edman plus others.
micro_maniac8
Nootbaar, Gorman, and Walker all have tremendous value. With the money owed to Arenado, he doesn’t have a great deal of value.
Dad
But to trade you have to have other teams interested in your players , and those players are not going to get much interest.
Dad
I would say Walker and Edmon would have plenty of interest
micro_maniac8
Wholeheartedly disagree with the Bart comparison. Herrera hasn’t gotten the chance to get an extended look. His performance this year was pretty encouraging. He isn’t a free agent until 2029.
DarkSide830
Free my man!
In Seager/Hader We Trust > the 70 MM DH Ohtani
On-base specialist
letsholdemandgohome
The last thing the Cardinals need is for Herrera to be traded and he turns into another Arozarena or Adolis Garcia and starts tearing the cover off the ball for some other team. He has amazing potential imo.
hiflew
What if he is traded and becomes the next Carson Kelly? Kelly also had amazing potential.
micro_maniac8
Carson Kelly was traded to acquire Goldy. Garcia and Arozarena were lost due to a crowded roster. Those are not remotely the same thing.
bpskelly
I don’t care if the Cardinals keep him or trade him. He’s likely at best a better than average backup. Which would be good for both the Cardinals and someone else.
He’s not the prospect Carson Kelly was, whom was released this season from Arizona.
I’d be fine sending Kiz away instead, but I think the Cardinals aren’t inclined to do that.
micro_maniac8
He will outperform Contreras over the length of his contract. He is a better receiver than Contreras and a better bat and receiver than Knizner.
Four4fore
And sadly it will probably be for someone else. MIAMI?
micro_maniac8
I’m not sure that Knizner is worth the raise he is due. I think it is possible that they just non-tender Knizner and acquire talent using their glut of outfielders.
Four4fore
Their glut of outfielders is made up of misplaced corner infielders (Walker and Burleson) with misplaced middle infielders (Edman, Donovan and Palacios). The real glut is infielders. I really don’t know how to sort this all out but I don’t think non-tendering Knizner is the best first step.
Mikenmn
It’s interesting the way the CBA works. We tend to focus on the big money contracts (mostly criticizing them) but the mechanisms in place to retain a player at a lower cost are still there.
oscar gamble
Exactly Mikenmn. I can see the application process. One billionaire applies to the other billionaires and says we’d like to screw this guy so we can save a little money. Is that ok with you guys?
saluelthpops
Wait, so is he eligible or not? The headline states that he is eligible. However, the story says they have to petition eligibility. Which is it?