Among the many changes the St. Louis Cardinals will undergo this offseason, a position change is coming for their perennial All-Star catcher. John Mozeliak, the Cardinals president of baseball operations, told John Denton of MLB.com that catcher Willson Contreras will not be behind the plate anymore. Instead, he will be playing first base and designated hitter.
The Cardinals are moving Willson Contreras to first base pic.twitter.com/c19yDsGOU7
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 6, 2024
Willson Contreras Will Not Be Catching Next Season
Contreras Wants to Stay
The Cardinals are entering a soft rebuild and focusing on developing talent. The organization has informed several of the Cardinals veterans on long-term deals of the change to gauge their interest in wanting to stick around or being traded away. Mozeliak told Denton that Contreras has “expressed interest” in staying with the Cardinals through the changes.
Contreras has played two years into a five-year $87.5 million contract with a club option for a sixth year for $17.5 million. The Cardinals have control over his contract through the 2028 season, at which point he’ll be 36.
Even with the Cardinals attempting to cut costs, they appear to be willing to keep Contreras’ hefty contract. The organization has already managed to cut $55 million from their payroll this offseason by letting former MVP Paul Goldschmidt go to free agency and declining club options on veteran pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Keynan Middleton.
Mozeliak told Denton that at least one veteran has expressed interest in being traded this offseason in light of the rebuild. If that is one of pitchers Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas or Steven Matz, or third baseman Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals would cut another significant chunk off their payroll.
Contreras’ Move Away from Catcher
Willson Contreras spent half the season on the injured list in 2024 for various injuries. Mozeliak said the move is largely for Contreras’ health and career longevity.
“Basically, our medical team recommended it,” Mozeliak told Denton. “In terms of if he really wants to extend his career, they think that would be best for him. Catching is, obviously, a demanding position. He missed a lot of time this past year because of injuries. One, because of being a catcher, and one, when he was hit by a pitch, which was random.”
In 2024, Contreras slashed .262/.380/.468 in 84 games. All three figures were above his career averages. He also swatted 15 home runs and had 36 RBI in those games. Keeping his bat in the lineup would help the Cardinals continue to compete in 2025 while not blocking the young talent the team wants to give extended chances.
Opportunity for Young Catchers
The Cardinals had two rookie catchers play extended time in 2024 while Contreras was on the IL. Ivan Herrera caught 56 games while appearing as a DH or pinch-hitter in 16 more games. Pedro Pages caught 66 games.
Herrera slashed .301/.372/.428 in his time while adding five home runs and 27 RBI. However, he was a worse defensive option than Pages.
Pages slashed .238/.281/.376 while adding seven home runs and 27 RBI. He was the better option behind the plate both for pitch framing and keeping baserunners in check. The two will share time at catcher in 2025. With both batting right-handed, manager Oliver Marmol will likely ride with a mix of a hot-hand approach and compatibility with the starting pitcher of that day when deciding which of the two catchers to roll with.
In the long run, Jimmy Crooks may be the best catcher in the organization if Contreras isn’t going to play the position. He is currently the Cardinals’ No. 5 prospect. The 23-year-old catcher was named the Texas League MVP for his stellar season with the Cardinals Double-A affiliate in Springfield, MO.
Crooks batted for a .321 average with a .498 slugging percentage in 2024. He also threw out 33 percent of would-be base stealers. While Crooks is likely to at least start the season in Triple-A, he appears to be in the team’s long-term plans behind the plate.
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