Former All-Star catcher Willson Contreras is a top trade candidate for the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason. The team has already indicated that it intends to concentrate nurturing young players. As part of that, payroll will be reduced. A combination of multiple young catchers in the pipeline and Contreras’ large contract make him a possible trade candidate this offseason.
Organizational Depth Makes Cardinals All-Star Catcher Prime Trade Candidate
Contreras Trade Makes Sense
The Cardinals are eager to slash expenditures this offseason as they plan a rebuild. Contreras has one of the highest contracts remaining on the books for the 2025 season and beyond. The perennial All-Star catcher is expected to earn $18 million in 2025. He has four years of club control left on his contract, worth a total of $72 million. However, the final year of that contract is a club option in 2028, which would save $17.5 million if it was not picked up.
Contreras, 32, is coming off an injury-riddled 2024 season. Contreras was sidelined for one month during the midst of the season after being hit in the arm with a bat. On August 24, he suffered a pitch fracture in his finger, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. However, when he was healthy, Contreras had a productive offensive season. Contreras cut.262/.380/.468 with 15 home runs and 36 RBI in 84 games. Contreras was also among the league leaders in walk rate. He had a walk rate of 12.6%, placing him in the top three percentile of the league.
Contreras played great defense behind the plate. He outperformed the league average in both blocks and steals. Contreras performed below league average in pitch framing metrics. However, he was working on it early in the season, which may have influenced his positioning on the play when J.D. Martinez’s swing broke his arm.
The combination of a long-term contract and outstanding play make him an enticing trade target for contenders trying to make a statement this offseason.
Young Catchers To Look At
In Contreras’ absence this season, the Cardinals looked closely at two rookie catchers. Ivan Herrera was a top-10 talent in the organization entering the season. He began the year as Contreras’ primary backup. Herrera had a strong batting line in 2024. In 74 games, he hit.301/.372/.428 with five home runs and 27 RBIs. However, his caught stealing rate was -3, which was lower than the average. That placed him in the bottom three percent in the league.
Despite not being a highly regarded prospect, Pedro Pages emerged as the preferred rookie catcher in 2024. Pages hit.238/.281/.376 with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 68 games this season. Pages also got a -3 for found stealing, which is above average. However, he outperformed the league average in both blocks over average and pitch frame.
Jimmy Crooks is undoubtedly the Cardinals’ top catching prospect. Crooks won the Texas League MVP this season while playing Double-A with the Springfield Cardinals. He topped double A in slugging percentage (.498) and OPS (.908). Crooks also hit.321 and homered 11 times this season. Crooks was the Cardinals’ top hitting prospect for the year. He is the organization’s No. 5 prospect and could get to the MLB level in 2025 if a position opens up.
Possible Return For Contreras
The Cardinals are moving their focus to player development. Along with developing catching talent, the Cardinals aim to add to their talent pipeline. Contreras’ combination of output, star power, and long-term team control makes him an appealing prospect for teams looking to compete in the coming years. However, it is a significant contract for a team to take on.
A recent offseason transaction to evaluate the return for is Jorge Polanco’s 2023 move from the Minnesota Twins to the Seattle Mariners. Polanco had two years of club control over his contract at the time of the move, which cost $22.5 million. The Twins obtained some major league return in exchange for pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa. However, the Twins acquired Gabriel Gonzalez, a highly touted young prospect. Gonzalez is just 20 years old and ranks seventh on the Twins’ top prospect list. He is currently in high single A and could potentially join the MLB’s top 100 prospect list.
If the Cardinals trade Contreras, they are expected to hunt for only prospects, not MLB players. However, they would be seeking for players of Gonzalez’s caliber. The Cardinals have only three players on the MLB top 100 prospect list. They want to add players to the list this offseason. Contreras was the Cardinals’ emotional leader this season. When he signed, he appeared to be Yadier Molina’s heir apparent. The move may be difficult for Cardinals supporters to digest, but it is consistent with the organization’s current direction.
