Andrew Knizner will tell you that the work he put in this offseason -- the meticulous study of game film in order to improve his pitch-calling skills -- was incumbent upon him in order to better his chances for the Major League roster. He’ll tell you that it was nothing out of the ordinary for a young catcher looking to improve over the winter.

His manager has a slightly different viewpoint.

“He took an extra step,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said recently. “What he did this offseason was beyond a typical offseason. This is a little unusual step that he took that I applaud him for and is important for him.”

• Knizner in line as Cards' catcher of the future

Shildt, never one to suggest reading into Spring Training lineup construction, hasn’t struck a similar tenor when asked about Knizner’s chances to back up Yadier Molina to open the season.

“I don't want to declare it,” the manager said after Friday’s Grapefruit League loss to the Mets, “but I think you can read between the lines. He’s more than earned the opportunity.”

The response all but solidifies Knizner’s role for the 2021 season. Molina is still “our guy,” the club has said this spring -- and the veteran’s play has done nothing to warrant less than a starter’s load -- but the Cardinals did make a few moves to fortify their catching depth this winter.

Switch-hitting Tyler Heineman and the defensive-minded Ali Sánchez remain in camp with the Cards, but now their futures likely lie at the alternate training site to open the season.

For Knizner, St. Louis’ seventh-round Draft pick in 2016, the time is nigh.

The Cardinals’ 26-year-old catcher has seen the fruits of his labor pay off this spring, appearing more comfortable both at the plate and behind it, making six starts at catcher with a .280 average (7-for-25) through 10 games.

On Friday, Knizner, as opposed to Molina, caught Carlos Martínez for the first time this spring and proceeded to work with five different pitchers through jams in the loss. It’s part of the reps the Cardinals want to see from Knizner -- how can he call a game on the fly, and how can he adapt to different looks from different pitchers if a game starts to get sidetracked?

Martínez, for his part, doled out one of the more complimentary praises a Cardinals catcher can receive.

“He looks like Yadi,” Martínez said.

Knizner still has some room to improve. Though his .280 average this spring is solid, it’s identical to his on-base percentage, meaning he’s yet to draw any walks, and he has struck out four times. What’s more, he has one extra-base hit along with six singles.

“I control what I can control at the dish, and I think that's working on some strike-zone discipline, working on seeing some pitches and getting into counts that I can drive the ball up the middle,” Knizner said. “I think I’ve been having professional at-bats, not going down easy, fighting in the box. I think all that has put me in the right mindset to carry a little momentum into the season.”

When he appears this season, it’ll be Knizner’s first time as a full-time Major Leaguer. He made his debut in 2019 and appeared in eight games last season -- four starts -- when the club’s COVID-19 outbreak put a pinch on player availability.

But now, with Knizner’s spot on the roster rather solidified, he hasn’t necessarily changed his approach, he said. Without much in the way of a clouded role, though, he’s been able to shed off some of those natural anxieties and limitations that may come with short-term uncertainty.

The Cardinals hope they get the most out of one of their former top prospects this season -- and for years to come, whenever Molina’s career comes to an end. So far, Knizner has done nothing to dim that confidence.

“I think in the past, all my attention was just on making that team, and not saying I'm not focusing on making the team or anything like that, but I'm trying to take it to the next level,” Knizner said. “And I think that's what it takes to be a championship-type player, is going the extra mile and doing that extra credit. And that's what I'm really trying to focus on.”