The Cubs have a decision to make regarding Willson Contreras, who’s heading into his final season of club control. Contreras is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for an arbitration salary in the $8.7MM range this year. Amidst an organizational reboot, the Chicago front office finds themselves in something of an awkward spot with their longtime catcher.
Chicago signed Yan Gomes, perhaps the best catcher in this year’s free agent class, to a two-year contract in November. That seemed to position Contreras as one of the likeliest trade candidates around the league on-paper, but there’s been no real indication the Cubs have shopped him. That could indicate they’re not looking to move on from Contreras, although they’ve also not yet broached the topic of extending the relationship.
Speaking with reporters (including Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic) yesterday, the 29-year-old backstop said the organization and his reps at Octagon haven’t discussed a potential long-term deal. “No, there haven’t been any talks. I’m good with it” he said. “They know what they’re doing, they know what’s best for the team. I’m here because I love my team. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.” Contreras went on to indicate he’d be willing to have those discussions. “I’m always open. You know me, I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on having a good year, having fun with my team and trying to win.”
The Cubs stripped down a good portion of the 2016 World Series winning club at last summer’s trade deadline, moving Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Báez. Those departures kicked off what one might consider a new era of Cubs baseball, but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer maintained there were no plans for a full rebuild. Hoyer, GM Carter Hawkins and the rest of the front office have largely backed up those assertions this winter. In addition to Gomes, they also signed Marcus Stroman to a three-year deal, added Andrelton Simmons on a one-year pact and claimed Wade Miley off waivers. They don’t seem done, as Hoyer told reporters (including Jesse Rogers of ESPN) this morning they’re still on the hunt for pitching help.
Even in the event the Cubs are trying to hang around the periphery of contention this season, there’s a case to be made for moving Contreras. Gomes is a capable #1 catcher in his own right; getting both players regular reps probably involves Contreras seeing a lot of time at designated hitter. He’s a good hitter, particularly in comparison to his peers at catcher, but he’s not the kind of elite bat for whom teams have been inclined to set aside the DH role.
Contreras has been an above-average hitter by measure of wRC+ in each of his six career seasons. Going back to the start of 2020, he owns a .239/.345/.429 line, numbers that check in nine percentage points above the league average. That’s markedly better than the .230/.307/.392 figure put up by catchers around the league, but it’s not elite middle-of-the-order output overall. Defensively, Contreras has typically been adept at throwing out attempted base-stealers, although he struggled in that regard last season. His pitch framing metrics, per Statcast, have checked in right around the league average over the past two years after he struggled mightily in that regard early in his career.
All told, the Cubs have to decide whether they view Contreras as a potential long-term building block. Recent free agent pickups notwithstanding, they’ve pared back payroll over the past twelve months. With only around $72MM in guaranteed commitments on the books in 2023 (per Jason Martinez of Roster Resource), the flexibility should be there for Chicago if they want to make a run at an extension.
Yet if the Gomes signing signaled a changing of the guard behind the plate on the North Side, Contreras could find himself switching uniforms over the coming weeks. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he’d be on track to hit free agency as one of next winter’s top available catchers — part of a group that could also include Gary Sánchez, Mike Zunino, Christian Vázquez and Max Stassi.
What?? EXTEND HIM, he wants to play for the Cubs, he’s stated that recently, we have the money. We have the means, he’s a all-star catcher with a high ceiling, he needs to be extended.
Why would they have extension talks when he’s going to be traded to the Yankees?
Yankees are in win now mode, they have to stop hoarding those shortstops they have and get themselves this catcher, and then they’re set.
Mario I agree. This is my response to all who say we shouldn’t get a SS now because we have the “future SS” in our minor leagues. We want to win….now, right? So trade prospects now, and get people we need now to win now!
Of course I don’t want to drain the entire farm, but we can still keep Volpe and trade several others… it doesn’t have to be an ‘either / or’ proposition.
Cut it out with the ‘Yankees are in win now mode”.
They’re restructuring, waiting for the bad long-term contacts to get off the books, and waiting for some of their minor leaguers to come up.
It they were in “win now mode” they’d be trading their top prospects and taking on salaries of name veterans. They could have gotten Olsen, they wouldn’t trade the prospects necessary.
Yankees are always in win now mode. And they will be waiting awhile for the Stanton Cole contracts to come off the books.
Yes, I’ve heard they’re always in a “win now mode”…..
Hey, they haven’t been to a WS in 12 years. Do they have a Quality Control or Audit department? If not, I can explain it to them for $100k via a short email update.
The Yanks are ALWAYS in a “win now mode”. That’s why they make the playoffs virtually every year.
Sam.
You have no idea what you are talking about. You are just another Yankee troll. & not a good one. We all know it by now. FYI.
That’s what I was thinking. All their horrible contracts come off in 2030
Yeah Ducky, the trolls on this site are third rate at best.
…and then what happens? They turn into the A’s in the post season.
They just took on Donaldsons salary. 25 mill for the next two years. Which contract are they waiting on exactly to expire? Their core players are all on long term deals. Cole, Stanton, DJ, Hicks, Judge will be resigned most likely. I’d be shocked if they let him walk, yet pay Stanton ? That makes no sense to me. I think when you look at the roster construction, and where they are contractual, I think they don’t have much of a choice then to compete and be the best they can be.
It’s up to them on what they’re willing to give up to add to the big league club, me personally I think if they added a catcher like Contreras it would make that team that much better, at a position they need.
Donaldson’s salary will be off the books when the prospects start coming up. And the chances of him playing 90% of Yankee games are a bit lower than the US Congress balancing the budget by then.
As for those contract you noted above…..
Allow me to repeat – waiting for the bad long-term contacts to get off the books, and waiting for some of their minor leaguers to come up.
Let me put it another way……
Other then maybe Cole, do you know of any MLB team that will take those contracts on in trade today unless the Yankees sweeten the pot?
Your comments are so naive I don’t even know where to begin. Virtually all large contracts are difficult to move once they are signed. First off, the team that signed him was the one willing to pay the most. So right out of the gate, no other team is going to take them unless the team “sweetens the pot”.
On top of which, every year that goes by, that player gets older making the contract even more difficult to move because the best part of the contract is behind them with the passage of time. It isn’t just the Yankees. Try moving Seager next year. Or try moving Trout right now. Or Miggy or Cano and on and on. Strasburg’s extension hasn’t even started and trying moving him at 50 cents on the dollar. Do you get it now?
I think he’s referring to not going “all in” and still trying to retool while they go along. But the Yankees will be doing that regardless. So I understand Samuel, but doesn’t make much sense to me.
They’ll obviously will try to replace the vets who will come off the books in a couple of years with youngsters, but if the team is good enough, they can move the prospects for win now pieces. It’s difference of perspectives.
He doesn’t think they’re in contention of a World Series, me personally I think the Yankees are extremely talented, especially with that last trade they’ve made. Maybe a starting catcher like a Contreras, possibly another starter at the trade deadline, or if Severino bounces back in a big way, then some relief help additions? Then who’s to say the Yankees cant truly compete for a World Series. And to me, at end of the day, that’s all it’s about, trying to win it all.
They can try to win yet hold on to prospects while doing so, which is fine, or give the big league club the absolute best chance to be the best they can be .. Really depends on how much one believes in this team I guess.
Brilliant points FSF. I really enjoy what pretty much everyone wrote in this thread, EXCEPT Sam I am. I enjoyed reading your well-thought out posts, EXCEPT Samuel‘s. And, you all have very sound perspectives with valid points on the Yankees challenges & approach to them EXCEPT………. wanna guess?
If only a digital troll jail existed, that would be cool. We could be like, Sammy! You’re under digital arrest for trollism! And you’re sentenced to extra for really bad trollism…
Soon to be another ex-cub
Contreras is a very good catcher, but he has a fairly extensive injury history (not uncommon among catchers), and turns 30 in less than two months. Catchers above 30 don’t get better, and don’t get healthier. Giving him a big extension would be foolish, and the Cubs’ front office knows it.
it would be the opposite of foolish, they should be extending him and rebuilding around him. ever hear of Yadier Molina? STL should have gotten rid of him years ago I suppose?
So you’re saying Willson Contreras is the same as Yadier Molina.
Yes because all catchers age as well as Yadi
Yadi has not posted a season above 1.8 WAR (or 2.5 on Fangraphs) in five years and he’s had only one such season since he turned 31.
Yadi ages 24-30 (seven seasons): 26.7 WAR, $36.275 million in contracts
Yadi ages 31-38 (eight seasons): 14.4 WAR, $127 million in contracts
So yes. St. Louis actually might have been better off if they got rid of him before 2014 and spent that money on other players.
Yeah, Yadi’s no good.
They should have traded him for Gary Sanchez years ago. Maybe kept Luke Voit instead.
We’ll, he isn’t very good now. That is the point, not how great he was in 2006.
@Mario93, @Yankee Clipper- Absolutely no reason the Yankees can’t put a package together to land Willson Contreras and Kyle Hendricks.The Cubs need young arms like Domingo German and Deivi Garcia. Luke Voit and Miguel Andujar can give the Cubbies power bats in their line-up. Michael King is a nice arm for their bullpen.
Yes, it’s a pity they released Frazier. The Cubs happily would have traded their best players if he were in the package…..(ahem)….oh, wait…..
P.S. The Yankees need pitching. Why would they trade “young arms like Domingo German and Deivi Garcia”? And they need a 1B – why would they trade Voit? And Andujar can DH for them! Michael King can take over when Chapman leaves.
LOL
Cubs will want prospects. Not arbitration players. Maybe Deivi though. They could use another pitcher. Cubs are going to surprise people with their young hitters they have.
Captain Judge: I think he’s the most likely catcher to go to the Yankees at this point.
Captain, ignore Samuel, he’s a Yankees troll. Constant with Yankees fans. And he’s always the smartest guy in the room. Once you call him out a couple times he will mute you because he can’t handle it.
for that package you are looking more the walker/mccann pitching catching duo than contreras / hendricks
Gotta go more premium like Austin Wells and one of the short stop prospects.
Cubs have no use for German who’s probably doesn’t haven’t controllable years.
The Cubs need guys with 4-5 years of controllability. Cubs are a ways off from competing. And preferably they want guys who can be in double A another year and a half.
@joemoes- your wrong, German has a few years of control. I’m sure the Cubs might have some interest in Alexander Vargas a shortstop prospect. The Cubs are my favorite NL team. I watch them all the time and they need pitching. Deivi Garcia and Randy Vasquez are really needed more than Vargas.
Domingo German will be 30 in August. In addition, he currently has a shoulder injury and Boone says he probably will not be ready to start the season.
No one wants Andujar, I thought this was understood at this point
Must be a typo. They listed Sanchez as a C.
He will sign with the Cubs for a 4y/$78M extension, staying with the Cubs thru 2026.
More like 4 years for $58/M.
Trade him and stroman at the deadline for a haul and a half
They just signed Stroman why would they trade him so quickly? They need to extend him. They have 2 priorities which is another SP , CL, and equally as important sign someone to be the DH and then extend Contreras.
Because every team wants to trade players that are doing well for them to the Yankees. That’s why those teams exist.
If Stroman is doing lousy, the Cubs can keep him.
@Samuel- Stroman hates the Yankees just like you. So there is no need for him in NY, just like you, so give it a rest. The players I offered the Cubs would definitely get a trade done for Willson Contreras.
It’s a 3 year deal and they are no where near competitive.
Signing stroman was smart because they bought themselves a trade chip to accelerate their rise
Seriously, you Yankee guys need to tour sports bars around America and do a standup routine with your trade proposals.
You take on a teams best players for your overpaid, underperforming players…..but you trade more of yours then you get back….so the other team makes out there….and you’re doing the other team a favor……giving them players that they have no use for.
You’ll be a big hit if you keep a straight face when performing!
Samuel: The subscriber you have reached is no longer accepting calls from this number. Please try again later… *Click*.
Austin Wells, one of the Yankees short stop prospects, and some lower gambles to the For Contreras
I think Wells & Sweeney should be enough to get Contreras, but I think the Cubs may want pitching instead. I could see them wanting Wells for his bat and his potential for staying behind the plate, although I think he will be a corner OF/1B in the Majors.
@Yankee Clipper- I hear you, but Wells and Sweeney are way too much to give up for only 1 year of Contreras. It’s not happening. The catcher the Yankees just acquired from Minnesota would be a likely piece going back to the Cubs a long with a Randy Vasquez or Deivi Garcia. Volpe, Dominguez, and Peraza will not be traded. Michael King is a pitcher Chicago would have interest also. Luis Medina is probably the Yankees future closer so he stays. The Cubs need starting pitching badly.
@joemoes- Austin Wells or Mike Sweeney will not be traded for only 1 year of Contreras. It’s not happening.
As with Bryant Rizzo and Baez the Cubs FO has no clue as to when to trade players for peak maximum returns. Wilson Contreras should have been traded before last season.
When should they have traded them? Don’t you think they were needed to get into the postseason?
Resign him and let him be the next Yadi. This guy is a class act.
I want him as a brave. Be cool to see a brothers catching duo in the league.
@bravesfan- the Braves definitely have the prospects to make that happen. The Cubs would definitely want a pitching prospect back. Probably in your top 10-15. Maybe 2.
Unfortunately, since Hoyer mentioned for the first time that the Cubs are not in Rebuild Mode, people think the team will be getting to be a playoff caliber team. They are not rebuilding, they’re keeping things as they are. Read between the lines.
Why sing Stroman for 3 years if you aren’t going to extend Willy?
What do those two have to do with each other? Willson is a 30 year old catcher, not the type of player that’s usually great to invest in going forward.