Whether you like him or not, Willson Contreras has, for the most part, embraced being one of the veteran leaders of this young St. Louis Cardinals team. Cards manager Oli Marmol has acknowledged as much. In a lost season for John Mozeliak and Co. given their overall lack of direction, Contreras was one of the constants. He went to bat for his team, did whatever he was told, and stood up for himself when the moment called for it. Contreras is a firecracker on a contending team, but for St. Louis, he is wasting away at age 33. The time to get out is this winter.
“I told him (Bloom) I’d like to be a part of the process,” Contreras said. “I’d like to be a part of a young team that’s going to need to have some kind of experience around them. That’s what I expressed. (Bloom) understood that I want to be part of the process, but I also understand that this is part of the business.”
Contreras said when prompted, but also added that after a conversation with new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, he is open to a trade "if it makes sense for me and my future."
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Should the Cardinals trade Willson Contreras?
Willson Contreras started multiple benches-clearing incidents this season. He's not shy about defending himself, and Marmol has defended his right to do so. On the field, Contreras is a declining product – a former catcher who has moved to first base and is far from the player he once was. It doesn't help that he isn't living up to his contract, which will pay him $18 million and $18.5 million in 2026 and 2027 respectively. Then Contreras runs into a club option, which will likely be declined if he doesn't dramatically improve.
If St. Louis does tried to trade Contreras, it will likely not come at a steep asking price. Bloom is a known rebuild artist. If asked, he will part ways with proven resources in exchange for prospects or, frankly, whatever he can get. In the case of Contreras, that might mean a mid-tier prospect. He is a 33-year-old first baseman with a .790 OPS. That's not bad, but it's not enough to land a a top-tier prospect package in return. Let's hope the Cards scouting department has been active this season, and took notes at the trade deadline, when they were sellers.
What a Willson Contreras trade would mean for Cardinals, Chaim Bloom
Contreras is not part of the Cardinals initial trade plans this winter. No, that'll be the likes of Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, if any teams are interested. Arenado has been available forever and Gray made it known he'd be willing to waive his own no-trade clause this winter to a contending team. Gray's advanced metrics look better than his actual stats – which include an ERA over 4.20, so odds are some contender would be willing to take a chance on him. Dealing Arenado will be easier said than done, as has always been the case.
If those two veterans are traded and the Cardinals haven't sufficiently emptied the cupboard, then Contreras could feasibly be sent elsewhere. He has far too many years left on his deal – and was too productive this season – to deal for pennies on the dollar.