As he heads into the third season of his five-year, $87.5M contract, Willson Contreras is headed for a position change. The Cardinals plan to move Contreras from catcher to first base next season, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters at the GM Meetings that the move to a first base/designated hitter role was made with Contreras’ long-term health and longevity in mind, adding that he’s “unlikely” to catch much at all in 2025, via Katie Woo of The Athletic. Mozeliak added that Contreras was quite clear about his desire to remain in St. Louis even as the team embarks on something of a reset, via Woo .
That makes it unlikely he’d be willing to waive his full no-trade clause this offseason. It’s a similar story with right-hander Sonny Gray, it seems. Mozeliak didn’t directly state as much, but Derrick Goold of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Gray has also expressed a preference to remain with the Cardinals. Like Contreras, Gray has full no-trade protection. The move to first base for Contreras opens the path for Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages to split time behind the plate.
It’s perhaps possible that an injury to one or both players could result in Contreras suiting up and crouching behind home plate once again, but it seems the organization’s preference is a shift away from that role. It’s the latest in a winding saga with the Cardinals’ seeming distaste for Contreras’ defense — one that began.