Why Cardinals Will Miss Willson Contreras Most After Offseason Trades

Contreras was a special player in St. Louis, even while the team struggled.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) fields a ground ball in the third inning between the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals got straight to work last offseason with their rebuild, trading away all of their high-priced veterans, including slugger and first baseman Willson Contreras. In that trade, St. Louis brought back right-hander Hunter Dobbins and a few other pitching prospects from the Boston Red Sox.

Surprisingly, the Cardinals' offense has performed quite well through the team's first 10 games of the 2026 season. It has helped them go 5-5 in that stretch and remain right in the thick of the NL Central race.

Contreras brought a lot of fire and passion to St. Louis, and that will certainly be missed. His comments after being hit by a pitch on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers will make fans miss him even more.

Why Cardinals will miss Contreras

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) celebrates after hitting a RBI single against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"That's the 24th time that they hit me in my career," Contreras said. "They always say 'I'm not trying to hit you.' That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I'm going to take one of them out. That's a message."

Contreras is never afraid to be at the center of conflict and defend himself when he doesn't like something that the opposing team did. The Brewers have hit Contreras with a lot of pitches dating back to his time with the Cardinals.

And while the Cardinals still have a team with a lot of fight in them this season, it would be a little bit different with Contreras still on the roster. Contreras is somebody that isn't afraid to charge the mound if push comes to shove, ready to defend himself and his teammates.

The Cardinals certainly enjoyed having that presence around in their clubhouse. He was also a veteran leader, and even though the Cardinals are rebuilding, having veteran leadership can never hurt.

Contreras was just the right person for that, and while Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn and Ivan Herrera are stepping into those roles, Contreras' fiery presence is unmatched most of the time.

So, the Cardinals may need to find somebody with that kind of passion if they are in the race at the trade deadline. Having sluggers in the lineup is one thing, but having a slugger that brings that fire and isn't afraid to start a fight is something that every major league team, including the Cardinals would benefit from in the future.

For now, the Cardinals will miss Contreras and what he brought to the table.