Cardinals $87 Million Star Reveals Why He's Staying In St. Louis

The Cardinals could surprise some people in 2025

Aug 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) hits a home run during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a lot of trade chatter this offseason, but no-trade clauses certainly have played a big role in the team's plans.

St. Louis announced after the 2024 season ended that it planned to have a "reset" this offseason and trim the team's payroll. It was hinted that the club wanted to go with a youth movement for the 2025 season in John Mozeliak's final year as president of baseball operations before Chaim Bloom takes over.

Most veterans on the team have had their names in trade rumors all offseason. But, there really haven't been any moves made thanks in large part to no-trade clauses. One player who was in trade rumors but is sticking around is All-Star slugger Willson Contreras.

Contreras opened up about why he's sticking around, as transcribed by FOX2's Joey Schneider.

“I love my teammates. I need to stick with them,” Contreras said. “It’s too easy for me to request a trade, be a coward, and leave everything behind. But I like challenges, and I love the team...

“When I said what I said last year, I had a lot of doubts in my mind that I was going to stay here. The first call [from Oli Marmol], he said, ‘We don’t want to trade you. We love you here, and we want you to stay here.’ I was like, 'Yes!'"

Contreras has three seasons left on the $87.5 million deal he signed with the Cardinals. It's going to be an interesting year in St. Louis, but fans certainly should be rooting for Contreras. He's certainly made it known how much he cares for the organization. Maybe the Cardinals will surprise some people in 2025.

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