As the World Baseball Classic gears up for another round of international fireworks, several St. Louis Cardinals players are preparing to represent their countries on the global stage. But for one of the club’s most promising young talents, the WBC will have to wait.
Catcher Iván Herrera is expected to miss the tournament due to insurance complications tied to his offseason elbow surgery. And while that’s a tough break for Team Panama, which was counting on his bat and leadership behind the plate, the news might quietly come as a relief for the Cardinals.
Let’s be clear - Herrera wanted to play. He’s made that known.
Representing your country is a point of pride, especially for a player like Herrera, who’s been on the rise and is hungry to prove himself. But skipping the WBC this time around might actually be the best thing for both him and the Cardinals in the long run.
The World Baseball Classic is a high-octane event - players go from zero to playoff intensity in a matter of weeks. That kind of ramp-up can be a recipe for injuries, especially for guys coming off surgery or dealing with lingering issues.
Just ask Edwin Díaz, José Altuve, or even Adam Wainwright, who all went down during the 2023 tournament. For a catcher like Herrera, who already takes a physical beating just by playing the position, the risk is even higher.
So while Panama loses a key piece, the Cardinals gain an extended look at Herrera in spring training - a setting that’s far more controlled and tailored to development. And development is exactly what Herrera needs right now, particularly behind the plate.
There’s no question the bat plays. In 2025, Herrera slashed .284/.373/.464 and launched 19 home runs, showing the kind of offensive upside that could keep him in a big-league lineup for years.
But the glove? That’s been a work in progress.
His throwing arm, in particular, hasn’t kept pace with his offensive growth. After offseason work with Driveline in 2024, there was hope he’d turned a corner.
But when he returned from injury that July, the improvements didn’t stick, and he was eventually pulled from catching duties.
That’s why this spring could be pivotal. With the WBC pulling away other catchers and Yadier Molina expected to join the Cardinals in camp once he wraps up managing Team Puerto Rico, Herrera has a golden opportunity. Few mentors are better suited to help a young catcher round out his defensive game than Molina, a nine-time Gold Glove winner who built a Hall-of-Fame career on pitch framing, game calling, and shutting down the running game.
For Herrera, this isn’t just about missing one tournament - it’s about setting himself up for the next decade. If the surgery that kept him out of the WBC also helps him rebuild his arm strength and refine his skills behind the plate, it could be a turning point in his career.
And let’s not forget - Herrera is only 25. There will be more chances to represent Panama down the road. But right now, the priority is clear: get healthy, get better behind the dish, and take advantage of a spring training that could help shape the next phase of his career.