10:58am: Manager Oli Marmol confirmed to the team’s beat that Contreras is done for the season (via Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat). The expectation is that rest will allow Contreras’ strain to heal, and the team did not want to risk him playing through the issue and further aggravating it.
10:43am: The Cardinals announced Wednesday that first baseman Willson Contreras has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain. Infielder Jose Fermin is up from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the roster. While there’s technically still enough time on the calendar for him to return for the team’s final series (the IL move is retroactive to yesterday), Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that this IL placement will end the season for Contreras.
Assuming that’s the case, it’s been yet another solid year for the 33-year-old Contreras. The catcher-turned-first-baseman hit .257/.344/.447 (123 wRC+) with 20 homers, 31 doubles and a triple in 563 turns at the plate. His first full year at a new position has generally gone well, too. Defensive Runs Saved (+1) and Statcast’s Outs Above Average (+6) both feel that Contreras has been not only passable at first base but better than average. One would imagine that his defensive chops could continue to improve as he further acclimates to his new home on the diamond, though he’ll also play next season at age 34, so there’ll be a give-and-take between Contreras getting more experience at first base but also slowing down as he ages into his mid-30s.
Contreras joined the Cardinals in the 2022-23 offseason, signing a five-year, $87.5MM contract in free agency. He’s still guaranteed $41.5MM over the remaining two seasons of that contract, which will be paid out in the form of an $18MM salary in 2026, an $18.5MM salary in 2027 and a $5MM buyout on a $17.5MM club option for the 2028 campaign. If he continues to play quality defense at first base and produce like he has at the plate through the first three seasons of this contract, there’s a good chance the Cards would exercise that option, given that it’s a net $12.5MM decision once factoring in the buyout.
It’ll be another offseason punctuated by rumblings about potential trades of veterans in St. Louis this winter. Nolan Arenado candidly acknowledged as much this week, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal suggested just yesterday that Brendan Donovan’s name is likely to pop up in offseason rumors as well. Contreras has complete control over his own fate, however, by virtue of the full no-trade clause that was negotiated into that free agent contract.
Contreras made clear last offseason that he wasn’t keen on waiving that clause, so it’s fair to expect that’ll be the case again this offseason as well. It’s always possible that trades of other players on the roster and/or changes to the coaching staff could lead to a change of heart, but there’s been no indication thus far that Contreras would green-light a trade out of St. Louis.
Bring up JJ!
Just curious do STL fans still think this was a good signing? And what about following in Jed’s footsteps and handing out NTC clauses like Chicklets on Halloween in FA? I’d rather let a FA walk than give him a NTC. It really handcuffs teams trying to improve. I think it’s stupid.
Then you won’t sign any good free agents. Free agent players want control of where they play. I think individual hotel suites on the road are unnecessary but it doesn’t matter what I think if it’s what the player wants to sign a deal.
That’s true because I would just pass. At best I might give them a limited 10 team NTC or something. If I’m running a team I would just go somewhere else because very few of those deals ever pan out.
Uncle Mike
Hey, speaking of catchers who can’t catch, that Ballesteros kid is doing just fine, another homer today. Glad they didn’t trade Moises!
Well sadly he’s a professional DH. I said he can hit, Can’t catch and is low grade 1b. It’s the only place you can play him and with Busch and Jonathan Long in the organization what do you do with him? If he could bring back a young controllable arm I’d move him this off season.
“That’s true because..just pass”..Sometimes(many times) the best deals are the ones you walk away from. Teams that give out NTCs and opt outs are setting themselves up for failure.
Also kind of wondering now that he’s in the bigs I wonder exactly where he’s supposed to hone his catching skills if he’s up here? I know he’s only 21 but if he’s ever going to get any better he needs reps and that means AAA. So exactly how does that work in the long run? Just asking.
Ballesteros is the DH in the long run.
OF is PCA/Alcantara CF, plus Caissie and Happ
Move last year of Seiya for a pitching prospect
Busch, Nico, Swanson, Shaw infield
Catcher Amaya and maybe Kelly
Rotation Horton, Boyd, Shota, Steele + FA?
Bullpen Palencia, Keller, Wiggins, Thielbar, Assad + ?
Offseason, Cubs need a top FA pitcher like Ranger Suarez, Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen or Dylan Cease. Expect regression on Horton and Boyd, both will still be good but are overachieving
Its an ok signing. Moving him off catcher was and still is kinda dumb and that makes the signing worse. But he wants to play in St Louis unlike guys like Fowler, Leake and Cecil. Those were bad signings this one I would say is overall decent. Not bad not good.
17 million to be 22% better than average at the plate and an average defender that isn’t hurting the team with his glove is a steal. There’s no bad I can see.
It was a bad signing because they intended him to catch and made the best of it when they figured out he could not.
But not a very bad signing because when life gives you lemons, you try to make lemonade.
He is not the most mature player, but he does take pride in his hitting and seems to like his new role.
In fairness, he could catch. He wasn’t even bad at it. Just not great. The Cardinals just only want plus defenders at Catcher. He has been the best player on the team since he signed. I don’t see how a team signing someone to a FA deal and that player ends up your best player for the duration can be considered a bad signing.
Yes.
$17m/year for his production/defense and leadership is a solid contract, even without him being at catcher.
It was a good signing after Molina’s retirement. I liked the idea of getting a bat at catcher and he put it the time to get better defensively. He did everything right, but got kind of screwed. Still, he did what was asked for him and he’s hit well and likes STL. The fans like him.
Yes, Contreras has earned his salary. He’s been extremely cooperative with everything except being traded.
He’s an above average defensive first baseman, has been at least 22% above average offensively every year in St. Louis, and provided a much needed veteran spark to the team. Yes, he’s been well worth the signing.
Unfortunately — it appears the Cardinals would be much better off without Contreras —- his inability to be used as the catcher they needed because of his poor defense.
Plus —- all of the yearly Drama that comes with him!!!
2.6 bWAR season for Contreras. Okay but hardly spectacular. Baseball Reference was really down on his glove work this year. From what I saw he was competent at first, not great, not terrible.
Baseball Reference has him at average to slightly above average at first base this year.
BR has him at -0.8 dWAR for 2025. FanGraphs also dings him for fielding. The eye test can be deceiving but he seems pretty average to me with the glove at first.
Yet BR has him +2 on zone runs and 0 on defensive runs saved. I’m not sure what they use to calculate dWAR.
Not sure what you are looking at but he ranks among the top 1B in every defensive category on BR. My guess is you are not comparing him to other 1B but rather all defenders in which 1B metrics would look poor because there is less value there. Case in point, Vinnie Pasquantino, who is also among the tops in all 1B leaderboards, has a -1.2 dWAR on BR.
Frequent flyer Fermin.
I’m a big fan of Fermin (also they linked him to the pitcher for the Angels), and have been since he was in the Cleveland system. He works the count really well – draws a ton of walks – but not by being passive at the plate which is why his K rate is also super low. A guy who plays good D, draws walks, makes contact, and can run is a valuable player in my book. Obviously he doesn’t have enough power to be a regular but I like him.
That’s why I couldn’t see them hanging on to Hampson as long as they did.
My fantasy team thanks you! 🙄
Not gonna lie I thought he was gonna be a terrible defender at first. To see he’s even slightly better than average is probably more than the Cards even expected.
He’s shown himself to be someone who puts in the work and wants to be a better player. He did the same back when Flaherty was complaining about him as a catcher.