Inbox: Do Cards have Yadi heir in Herrera?

The Cardinals made headlines this offseason by fortifying their Major League roster with one of the game’s best players in Nolan Arenado. And they did it without seriously damaging their farm system at the same time.

It’s a bit of an embarrassment of riches for St. Louis, which owns a championship-contending roster and a highly regarded farm -- a farm system that was re-ranked for 2021, as released by MLB Pipeline on Monday.

• Breaking down the Cards' Top 30 Prospects list

Let’s dive deeper into some of the questions fielded on Twitter after the list was released:

Is the next starting catcher not named Yadi in the organization today?
-- @mattrosestl

Short answer: Yes. And his name is Ivan Herrera.

Yadier Molina has taken the young prospect, now No. 4 in the Cards’ system, under his wing this spring. At least as much as one can glean from social media, the two have been inseparable in Florida. Herrera has said how much he looks up to Molina, and the elder statesman has doled the praise right back.

With Andrew Knizner also Major League ready, the Cardinals have no shortage of catching talent. Herrera's ceiling is thought to be higher.

Herrera, for his part, has made significant strides defensively since he signed in 2016 and has above-average raw power. Like Molina, he’s received high marks for his work ethic and has the eye of the organization.

"You guys are going to be surprised," Molina said recently. "I’m not, because I know what kind of talent he has."

Five of the top 14 players on your list are new to the system in 2021. Were you that down on the Cardinals’ system prior to 2020, or are these players that talented that they'd have been at or near the top of many boards?
-- @stlfanbc7

Without trying to duck the question, the answer is truly a little bit of both. The Cardinals don’t have a Top 10 farm system in baseball, so there was certainly room for new names when putting together the 2021 list. That being said, names like Masyn Winn (No. 6 prospect) and Jordan Walker (No. 7) -- both 2020 Draft selections -- would be in the top half of several lists.

Winn was selected 54th overall and will be developed as a two-way player (right-handed pitcher and shortstop). He throws in the low- to mid-90s from the mound and also possesses plus raw power at the plate. That’s certainly the type of player most teams would want in their system. Walker, St. Louis’ first-round pick last year, was the top corner-infield prospect in the 2020 high school class and drew rave reviews for his performance against advanced competition at the alternate training site this past summer.

Right-hander Tink Hence (No. 9 prospect, 63rd overall selection in 2020) is also in that group of prospects new to the organization and has plenty of upside. He has a small frame but can locate well and has a good fastball-slider combination.

Who do you see starting for Triple-A Memphis assuming all the MLB starters are healthy?
-- @jdavidreed

If we’re assuming all Major Leaguers are healthy, then we’ll group in Miles Mikolas, too. In that case, the Memphis rotation could pick from this list:

RHP Jake Woodford
RHP Johan Oviedo (No. 10 prospect)
LHP Génesis Cabrera
LHP Austin Warner
LHP Evan Kruczynski
RHP Angel Rondón (No. 12 prospect)

Some of these names could easily land in the Major League bullpen, especially Woodford, Oviedo and Cabrera, with the outside chance at the rotation. And this list doesn’t include left-handers Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson -- the top pitching prospects at Nos. 2 and 5. They’re likely slated for Double-A Springfield to start 2021.

What are your thoughts on Griffin Roberts and Jake Woodford that they didn't make your Top 30? Roberts especially seems to be in everyone's Top 20s, much less 30s.
-- @stlfanbc7

Roberts didn’t miss the list by much, and you can expect to see his name added at some point early in the 2021 season. The right-hander struggled at High-A Palm Beach in 2019, and there are concerns about his command and control (35 walks over 65 2/3 innings). He has a fastball-slider combination that could play well out of the bullpen, and a relief role may also expedite his path to the Majors. However, the Cardinals are going to continue to develop him as a starter for now and will see if he’s able to improve both his average changeup and his command. If his stuff continues to impress and he shows a better ability to locate in 2021, he could be a fast riser in the system and on prospect lists.

Woodford, meanwhile, has lost his prospect status with 45 days on the Major League roster. (To be prospect eligible, a player must not have exceeded 50 big-league innings for a pitcher, 130 at-bats for a hitter -- or 45 days on the active roster for both.) Woodford has a real opportunity to be a swingman for the Cards this season, but if he falls victim to the roster squeeze, he’ll be one of the first ones called up from Memphis should injuries arise.