What Cardinals' Sonny Gray Trade Could Mean For Willson Contreras: Insider

Is St. Louis starting a huge sell-off?

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) celebrates after hitting a homer in the seventh inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, Aug. 30, 2025, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Cardinals won 4-2. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's highly improbable Sonny Gray will be the only big name the St. Louis Cardinals trade this winter.

After dealing Gray to the Boston Red Sox for two promising pitching prospects on Tuesday, it's clear that the Cardinals have their eye on building around a young core for the possibility of contending a couple of years down the road.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado is the world's most obvious trade candidate, but there are lots of other Cardinals veterans whose futures are a bit murkier. That group includes first baseman (former catcher) Willson Contreras, the other Cardinal with a no-trade clause.

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Ken Rosenthal on Contreras trade potential

Aug 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) throws to first to get Cincinnati Reds second baseman Santiago Espinal (not pictured) out in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

During his Tuesday appearance on the "Foul Territory" live show, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic said that although he expects Arenado to be traded now that Gray is gone, he isn't certain the same fate will apply to Contreras.

"Willson Contreras is a little bit different," Rosenthal said. "He has said he wants to stay. Now, will he want to stay once they trade not only those guys, but Brendan Donovan and potentially Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman? That's a different question.

"Maybe at that point, Willson Contreras says, 'You know what? I can go, too."

There's a parallel situation playing out with the Minnesota Twins, as Rosenthal went on to point out, as veterans on that Twins team largely didn't want to be shipped out at the trade deadline, but once 10 players from the big-league roster were dealt, those who remained likely had (and are still having) some second thoughts.

Contreras, 33, is still chugging along offensively, posting a 123 OPS+ and 20 home runs across 135 games this season despite a slow start. He is slated to be paid $36.5 million over the next two years, plus a $17.5 million club option with a $5 million buyout for 2028.

Perhaps Contreras, therefore, will be the most important name to watch over the next few weeks as we find out just how wide-reaching this Cardinals rebuild truly will become.

More MLB: Cardinals' Chaim Bloom Breaks Silence After Shipping Sonny Gray To Red Sox