3 moves for the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason

A succession plan behind the plate

The St. Louis Cardinals have thought that they had the heir apparent to Yadier Molina for years.

First, it was Carson Kelly. But Molina kept on going, so Kelly was sent to the Diamondbacks as part of the Paul Goldschmidt trade. Andrew Knizner may be the current option, but he has not hit in his limited action. Maybe Ivan Herrera is the answer as he began to show more power in Double-A last season, but he is still a year or two away.

While the Cardinals knew they would eventually need to find a replacement for Molina, that had not been a priority. The years may be advancing, and his bat may not be as potent, but he has continued to be as durable as ever. His defense has not slipped at all either as he has continued to be a force with his arm and glove.

But it is time that the Cardinals figure out who is next in line. Molina is set to retire after the upcoming season. If Knizner does not hit again this year, it may come down to how well Herrera performs in the minors. Otherwise, the Cardinals may be forced to go outside the organization to find their next catcher, at least for a year or two.

Yadier Molina has been close to indestructible. Now, the St. Louis Cardinals have to figure out how to replace him going forward.