It’s time for the St. Louis Cardinals to call up Jimmy Crooks. Ok, so I don’t quite feel it to an ultimatum level like the first sentence reads. Crooks isn’t the Strait of Hormuz, he’s a flawed catcher for a franchise in the middle of a stated “long-term” year. However, I do think there’s a compelling case that it’s time. So, let me lay out the case and you guys can adjudicate it in the comments.
If you’d like more context on the issue in spoken form, we hosted Kyle Reis on Redbird Rundown and had a nuanced conversation about this very issue. Yes! Nuance does exist on the internet if you know where to look. I know many in the VEB community have hopped on board with Redbird Rundown since we were welcomed into the family. We really appreciate that. If you’re interested, or missed it, here are the easy links to our full prospect check-in episode. Apple and Spotify.
Allow me to first start on a more philosophical level. This is my personal opinion, but I do not want the Cardinals to spend real assets on this trade deadline if they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot (and it’s very possible they’re still in the hunt!). That being said, I do think a winning culture is important and this team, so far, has surprised everyone with their competitiveness. The level of achievement so far does deserve support from the front office, even if it falls short of trading the farm to make this team a contender. Please, Chaim, do not do that.
Similar to the way a pitcher can develop “loose bodies” in their elbow, I think there are some “loose bodies” on the roster that could be tightened up with pieces the Cardinals already have under control to give this current team the best chance to succeed. Jimmy Crooks is part of that plan in my mind.
Jimmy Crooks is rocking Triple A Memphis
There are parts of Crooks’ offensive profile that are on the verge of eye-popping. We all know about the power. He’s battered 13 homeruns to the tune of a 1.027 OPS and a 161 wRC+. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but his under-the-hood metrics tell the story of just how real his pop is. He’s in the 98th percentile of barrel percentage. When he makes contact, he’s making excellent contact. This is leading to exit velocities that are very high end compared with his AAA peers.
So far this season, power isn’t his only weapon. He’s running a 16% walk rate, which sits in the 83rd percentile. He’s got a robust .403 OBP. In Memphis, this is not simply a prospect that hits homers and doubles and nothing else, there’s a burgeoning on base skill that is clearly improving.
The biggest hitch in Crooks’ game
For two paragraphs now, some of you have been mentally screaming (or maybe actually screaming) about his K rate and whiff percentage. It’s there. There’s no doubt. He’s striking out 31.3% of the time and has a whiff percentage that ranks in the 22nd percentile. These are limiting factors to his offense. This is what makes a prospect like Rainiel Rodriguez so incredible. The power is there without the whiff issues.
I do think it’s worth noting that his K rate has actually come down lately. There was a period when Crooks was swinging at everything like your family dog chases every car that drives by. His displayed a better selectivity rate that has led to his increased walk rate as well. Make no mistake, this is a swing and miss type of guy, but the ability to improve on that flaw while still bashing homers deserves a hat tip.
Defensively, Crooks has always been well regarded. Reliable metrics can be a little iffy to come across for the minors, but the aforementioned Kyle Reis reported the club loves his defensive prowess and specifically praised his ability to call games. Crooks is not a perfect prospect (who is?), but he gives off a lot of markers for a 25 year old ready for his first real big league run. Catcher is clearly a position that calls for good defense (someone alert the Cardinals about Herrera’s innings at catcher then). Everything in Crooks profile says he will be a good defender at the big league level.
Now that you’re undoubtedly convinced on Crooks the prospect (ha!), what happens with the roster? You may be aware that the Cardinals are overstocked on catchers right now. Some of them can hit. Others can’t. Some bunt. Some can’t throw to second base. Others rub Oli’s feet for all we know. So, something would have to change to call up Crooks.
I would propose something very simple. Move Pages to a backup role that suits his ability level much better. It keeps him present every day in the clubhouse to mentor Crooks as a major league catcher and prevents the kind of black hole offense he can fall into for spurts of games at a time. Ivan Herrera can still take some time at catcher, because Crooks immediately becomes a palatable option for some DH appearances. What of our king, Yohel Pozo? Honestly, if you don’t want to release him because of the clubhouse vibes and bat flips on singles, send Saggese down to Memphis for everyday playing time. Jose Fermin has performed admirably in several defensive alignments. He can simply soak up more bench innings/at bats if it’s necessary to keep Pozo. It’s laughable to have four catchers on the roster, but it’s an option.
There are continued knock on effects down the system. Leonardo Bernal gets additional development time behind the place at Memphis. If they want to be very aggressive with Rainiel Rodriguez promotions, then he’s not double blocked at Memphis and St. Louis. Crooks gets additional major league experience in a “long-term” year so that he’s more ready to catch the stable of strikeout arms when they surface in St. Louis.
Could Jimmy Crooks strikeout at rates that make his presence in St. Louis unsustainable? Yep. But, what if he doesn’t? What if he gives this lineup some serious pop in the 7th hole? This team deserves the most resources it can get to contribute to winning. This plan, while certainly containing drawbacks, leverages as many positive attributes of the current players in the system to win the maximum number of games possible.
Chaim just go tarps off and get it done.
Let me know what you think of this line of thinking in the comments. Reasonable minds can disagree. Thanks for reading!
