Cardinals drafted a first baseman who seems destined to replace Willson Contreras

The St. Louis Cardinals are approaching a crossroads this offseason. John Mozeliak will officially cede control to Chaim Bloom when the 2025 campaign ends. That should dramatically shift the focus from immediate contention to figuring out what the future looks like. The 2025 MLB Draft should be taken as a sign of what's to come, particularly with regards to star first baseman Willson Contreras.

Few general managers are better at evaluating young talent and resetting the deck for a team than Bloom. He built some winners in Boston, but his Red Sox tenure will forever be defined by the young talent he was able to cultivate. Bloom was the perfect yin to Dave Dombrowski's all-out, win-now yang; the hope was that he would develop a similar relationship with Mozeliak before taking charge in 2026.

That starts with this year's draft class. St. Louis has largely been celebrated for their efforts in the early rounds, but their third-round selection feels especially like a Bloom pick — one with a clear-eyed purpose and direction. That pick was Jack Gurevitch, a 21-year-old first baseman from the University of San Diego.

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Cardinals install Jack Gurevitch as long-term Willson Contreras successor

We don't need to get ahead of ourselves, but the talented corner infielder should come through the Cardinals system pretty quickly. He's an established hitter praised for his leadership skills in the locker room. He sounds like a potential culture-builder for the next generation of Cardinals baseball.

MLB Pipeline ranked Gurevitch No. 144 overall in his draft class, although it's worth remembering that several names above him won't actually sign their big-league contracts. A 6-foot, 215-pound lefty, MLB.com praises Gurevitch for his "handsy swing from the left side of the plate that is capable of making extremely loud contact." He also knocks the intangibles out of the park.

"He gets very high marks for his toughness, leadership and overall makeup, which might give teams more confidence he’ll maximize his tools," reads Gurevitch's scouting report.

All this reflects back on Contreras, whose days as the lynchpin of St. Louis' lineup are numbered.

Cardinals need to figure out Willson Contreras' future

Contreras is enjoying another productive season for the Cards, slashing .253/.339/.426 with 12 home runs in 336 at-bats. His transition from catcher to first base has also been a resounding success, as Contreras ranks in the 94th percentile for his position with six outs above average.

That said, St. Louis moving Contreras from catcher to first base felt like the beginning of the end. It's a less valuable position by nature and it read mostly as an emergency solution to the Paul Goldschmidt exit (and the lack of an in-house replacement).

His contract does complicate things a little bit. Contreras is signed through 2027 with a $17.5 million club option for 2028. He's not walking out the door next offseason, but at 33 years old, it's fair to wonder when the big decline will hit. St. Louis has struggled to shed its expensive veteran contracts, such as Nolan Arenado, but Contreras feels like someone who can still generate some trade interest. Especially if he's open to a move back to catcher, where he remains an above-average stopper with almost a decade of game-management experience.

If St. Louis can successfully thread the needle, we could see Contreras hand the reins to Gurevitch within the next few years. The Cards are going to get younger under Bloom. It's a guarantee. Contreras' tenure has been complicated, but he's a solid vet with an accomplished résumé. St. Louis should be able to handle his eventual exit with grace and give him an opportunity to win elsewhere.