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Cardinals, Oscar Hernandez Agree To Minors Deal

By Steve Adams | January 7, 2020 at 3:18pm CDT

The Cardinals have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Oscar Hernandez, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The former D-backs and Red Sox backstop will head to Major League camp on a non-roster invite.

Hernandez, 26, was the top pick in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, when the D-backs selected him out of the Rays organization. Touted for his defensive skills behind the dish, Hernandez looked decidedly overmatched in two seasons with Arizona, hitting a combined .167/.239/.262 in a tiny sample of 47 plate appearances. He hasn’t appeared in a big league game since 2016, although he was on the Red Sox’ Major League roster briefly this past season. However, Hernandez was called up as a depth option and designated for assignment without ever appearing in a game for Boston.

In parts of 10 minor league seasons, Hernandez is a .246/.323/.417 hitter — although he’s managed just a .210/.276/.336 output at the Triple-A level. He’s thrown out 42 percent of runners who attempt to steal against him in the minors, though (plus one of two in the Majors), and he routinely draws strong framing marks in the minors.

Matt Wieters was the primary backup to ironman Yadier Molina in 2019 but is currently a free agent. Well-regarded prospect Andrew Knizner is the only other catcher on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, so Hernandez will add a glove-first depth option.

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View Comments (48)

Comments

  1. spencer99

    2 years ago

    In the last paragraph the first and last sentence are pretty much the same

    Reply
  2. eddiemathews

    2 years ago

    Wasn’t Matt Wieters the back-up last season?

    Reply
    • Four4fore

      2 years ago

      He’s currently a free agent.

      Reply
      • highplainsdriftr

        2 years ago

        He’s a free agent now but he was their top backup option last season

        Reply
    • Tapeman69

      2 years ago

      This guy will be in minors

      Reply
  3. herecomdatboi

    2 years ago

    Great another meh pick up from the cards

    Reply
    • qbert1996

      2 years ago

      What’s your point exactly? He’s a 3rd or 4th catcher. He’s not supposed to push the needle anyway. Who were you expecting them to sign?

      Reply
      • gdbyers

        2 years ago

        With all the money we have who couldn’t we sign??

        Reply
        • qbert1996

          2 years ago

          There were only two guys worth signing this offseason. Cole and Rendon. Not very likely the Cardnals would’ve signed either of them. It would’ve pushed them very close to Luxary tax territory which isn’t where ownership wants to be. Even though fans think they should

        • ronnsnow

          2 years ago

          There were way more guys worth signing this offseason than just Cole and Rendon. Maybe open your eyes to something other than the “big name stars” of the game.

    • Tapeman69

      2 years ago

      He’s a friggen minor leaguer so chill the F out

      Reply
  4. spinach

    2 years ago

    Really beating the Weiters aspect to death in that last paragraph.

    Reply
  5. RedbirdJodella

    2 years ago

    Someone remind me who Yadi’s backup was last season?

    Reply
    • cardsfan79

      2 years ago

      Matt Weiters. He’s a free agent now. MATT WEITERS

      Reply
      • the cuban solution

        2 years ago

        Reply
      • redbirds22

        2 years ago

        Who?

        Reply
  6. astrosbox8

    2 years ago

    I can’t even remember who the backup was last season. Oh well, he must be a free agent anyhow

    Reply
  7. DarkSide830

    2 years ago

    to be fair, its easy to forget who Yadi’s backup is

    Reply
  8. cardfan

    2 years ago

    Ok cool, but what about Weiters?

    Reply
    • robertj53086

      2 years ago

      I’m guessing that he’s next.

      Reply
  9. willstl

    2 years ago

    nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the middle of the room….matt carpenter.is this a make or break season for him

    Reply
    • Tapeman69

      2 years ago

      he’s toast

      Reply
    • RedbirdJodella

      2 years ago

      Why are you talking about MCarp? He’s not a free agent catcher like Weiters.

      Reply
    • Brandon Burgess

      2 years ago

      I think Carpenter will be fine, he has a history of producing. He may not reach salsa levels but I think he bounces back. Fowler is a bigger elephant IMO

      Reply
      • Lanidrac

        2 years ago

        Why Fowler? He already had his bounceback season last year. There’s no reason to think he won’t continue to be around an average player. He’s overpaid but still (unfortunately) the most reliable outfielder the Cardinals have right now.

        Reply
        • robertino7

          2 years ago

          Oh, that is sad. Nothing reliable about Fowler’s performance, both late in the season and more importantly, the postseason, other than him reliably fulfilling his predictable failure.

  10. bobtillman

    2 years ago

    When Yadi got started, Joe Garagiolla was his backup.

    Reply
    • kyleschwarbersmom

      2 years ago

      Nah, but I think Joe did a segment regarding neck tattoos on the Today show.

      Reply
    • RedbirdJodella

      2 years ago

      ahhhhahahahahaha!

      Reply
    • stan lee the manly

      2 years ago

      Yadi will probably be backup to his own kids by the time he retires

      Reply
  11. Lanidrac

    2 years ago

    I wouldn’t want to see this guy on the Major League roster, but I suppose he’s decent organizational depth for AAA Memphis in the event Knizner spends most of the season in the Majors as Yadi’s backup.

    Reply
    • mack423

      2 years ago

      Joe Hudson filled that role last year, and he’s a free agent

      Reply
    • Tshep425

      2 years ago

      Sounds like a superb defensive catcher who can’t hit a lick. Those guys do have value.

      Reply
  12. Dad

    2 years ago

    Damn , Could’ve traded Fowler or Carpenter for a guy like that

    Reply
    • ronnsnow

      2 years ago

      No. No they couldn’t.

      Reply
  13. Robust Scouting

    2 years ago

    This is a huge move in Mozeliak’s world.

    Reply
  14. slide

    2 years ago

    just needed another body behind the plate for spring training

    Reply
  15. Polymath

    2 years ago

    I just read all 31 comments that were here so far. More undoubtedly will come. But non-sequiturs are ubiquitous on this site (Supra, passim.)

    Reply
  16. Sully

    2 years ago

    This is obviously because they’re trading their catching depth for Arenado lol

    Reply
  17. disadvantage

    2 years ago

    Dang, I was hoping the Blue Jays would get him, so that they could have Oscar Hernandez as well as Teoscar Hernandez.

    Reply
  18. mack423

    2 years ago

    Joe Hudson replacement that could turn out to be the actual backup in a pinch. I like it.

    Reply
  19. uncle mike

    2 years ago

    Cardinals Owners philosophy seems to be…wait until the bad contracts are gone (Carpenter, Fowler, Cecil). In 2 years they might do something. Otherwise, we are going to have to suffer every day watching Carpenter think he can blast though the designated shifts, wait for a walk then strikeout, make base running blunders, lean back and forth in the batters box and then let the ball go by him, etc. it’s disgusting to me to watch Carpenter! 10 years ago, I couldn’t wait until it was his turn to bat. I wish he’d retired when he was on top and all Cardinals fans loved him. Plus….the Owners were DA’s for giving him a 2 yr extension. After two years, look on the roster. Current young semi stars will be gone. Or, such as Edmon, he’s much better that Carpenter at this point!!! By starting Carpenter, Edmon is getting cheated out of deserved playing time.

    Reply
    • Jayrandolph

      2 years ago

      You are quick to bale out on Carp without even waiting to see what 2020 holds for him. You probably figured Fowler would be worse in ’19 than his .180 in 2018. Of course no one will remember or care about your pompous, “I am right and never wrong” comment 10 games into the season. Or maybe even today.

      Reply
      • uncle mike

        2 years ago

        I hope you’re right and I’m wrong!!!

        Reply
    • Nuggethoarder

      2 years ago

      Carpenter wasn’t even in MLB ten years ago. In 2018, when he was an MVP candidate, was it disgusting to watch him play? There was no reason for a 32 yr old MVP candidate to retire. Quite fickle! Yes the FO didn’t need to extend him. They did, and perhaps it was a mistake. The extension will be judged by Carpenter’s results in 2020 and 2021, not by his results in any other year.

      Edman played very well in 2019 for half a season. However, it would be unwise to assume that he will continue to hit better in MLB over a full season than he ever did at any level in MiLB. He still needs to show that the improvement is sustainable.

      Reply
      • uncle mike

        2 years ago

        You are Probably right. I do hope the best for Carpenter, I just see him too have too many life long injuries to deal with. Stiff armed throws. Back is so busted up he can’t stand in the batters box without stretching out his back before each swing. I actually hope he’s an All-Star in my heart for 2020!!! That would be a huge-pleasant-surprise to me!!

        Reply
      • uncle mike

        2 years ago

        You are probably correct. Personally—I I hope Matt Carpenter is a 2020 All-Star!! I’ve been a Carpenter fan. I’ve interviewed him on the radio when he was a rookie and 2 more successive years at Spring Training. Fantastic young man and before all of his injuries to his back and shoulder, he was the team leader. As Carpenter went—-So did the Cardinals!!! However…realistically his lifetime injuries appear to have caught up with him. No matter how old he is. He has to stiff arm throws and has to extremely stretch out his back, in the batters box, before each swing. Plus, he seems to refuse to take advantage of the wide open left side of the infield. Rarely even bunting that way. While he made some base running blunders this past year, I consider those hustling mistakes. Anytime a player is hustling, those mistakes are and should be acceptable. As I answered another comment above—- I sure hope you are right and I’m wrong. (I am disgusted with the Owners for basically standing pat this off season. Hopefully they can get a good clean up hitter. Even if it is Ozuna on an incentives contract)

        Reply
  20. ronnsnow

    2 years ago

    Does he draw rave reviews behind the plate?

    Reply

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