RUMOR: Willson Contreras' Defense Could Keep St. Louis Cardinals from Signing Him

Willson Contreras declined a qualifying offer from the Chicago Cubs last week, making him a free agent, free to sign with any team. Contreras has been linked to the St. Louis Cardinals in recent days. But could Contreras' defense be a concern for the club?

The St. Louis Cardinals have been linked to catcher Willson Contreras in recent days, as the club seeks a replacement behind the plate for the recently retired Yadier Molina.

After playing his first seven big league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Molina appears to be interested in crossing the Illinois-Missouri state border and joining the Cubs' division rival.

Contreras' defensive limitations might be a concern, however, for the Cardinals, a club that puts a premium on fielding. 

The Athletic's Katie Woo covers the Cardinals as the club's beat reporter. Woo was asked recently which catcher the Cardinals will pick up in Molina's place this winter, on the That's a Winner Podcast.

"I don't think it's Contreras, although I do know he wants to be in St. Louis," Woo said. "I just think that (his) defense is too big of a liability for them."

Contreras had minus-1 Defensive Runs Saved in 2022.

Woo suggested that the Cardinals have been known to make offseason splashes through trade, and could plug their hole behind the plate via trade as well. Oakland Athletics' catcher Sean Murphy and Toronto Blue Jays' catcher Alejandro Kirk are a pair of trade candidates that the Cardinals could pursue instead of Contreras. In addition to be stronger defensive catchers, both would be significantly cheaper payroll hits and be controllable for the organization for several years.

The Cardinals went 93-69 in 2022 and won the National League Central by seven games over the Milwaukee Brewers. Their odds to win the 2023 World Series are plus-200 according to the gambling website Fanduel. That's 10th-best among MLB's 30 teams. 

It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming days.

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