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Willson Contreras Could Consider St. Louis Cardinals in Free Agency

Longtime Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras stated that he's willing to consider anything for the next chapter of his career, including a move to the Cubs' archrival, the St. Louis Cardinals.

With Willson Contreras potentially having played his last game with the Chicago Cubs, the backstop stated that he's prepared for whatever comes next in his career, and that includes jumping ship and going to join the St. Louis Cardinals. 

In a recent article from Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports, when asked whether or not he'd consider a move to St. Louis this offseason, Contreras stated that he would "for sure." The 30-year-old went on to say that he had reached out to his former Cub teammate Jose Quintana, who was traded to the Cardinals at the 2022 trade deadline and was very complimentary of the team. 

Conteras did go on to clarify that he still has no idea what will happen, but given the fact that St. Louis has been rumored to be interested in the Venezuela native since the trade deadline according to Wittenmyer, along with the fact that this is believed to be the final season of longtime Cardinals-backstop Yadier Molina's career, it is something to keep in mind. 

There are still plenty of moving parts to consider before free agency, such as whether Chicago will extend the 19-million dollar qualifying offer to Contreras or not, and whether he would accept it or not. The catcher is coming off of perhaps the best offensive season of his career, and this may be his best shot at getting a long-term deal, but it's not outlandish to think he could take the one-year tender. 

Wittenmyer also stated the Cubs would remain interested in seeing how his market plays out before closing the door on a return.

Chicago has been the organization Contreras has ever known, signing with the team in 2009 before making his major league debut in 2016, and now is the last member of the World Series-winning core still with the team. Both the Cubs and the backstop have their reasons for moving on, but seeing Contreras on the other side of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry could be a tough pill for many to swallow.

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