Cardinals' Willson Contreras done for 2025 season

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Wednesday that first baseman Willson Contreras has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain. Infielder Jose Fermin is up from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the roster. Manager Oli Marmol confirmed to the team’s beat that Contreras is done for the season (via Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat). The expectation is that rest will allow Contreras’s strain to heal, and the team did not want to risk him playing through the issue and further aggravating it.

It’s been yet another solid year for the 33-year-old Contreras. The catcher-turned-first-baseman hit .257/.344/.447 (123 wRC+) with 20 homers, 31 doubles and a triple in 563 turns at the plate. His first full year at a new position has generally gone well, too. Defensive Runs Saved (+1) and Statcast’s Outs Above Average (+6) both feel that Contreras has not only been passable at first base but better than average. One would imagine that his defensive chops could continue to improve as he further acclimates to his new home on the diamond. However, he’ll also play next season at age 34, so there’ll be a give-and-take between Contreras getting more experience at first base but also slowing down as he ages into his mid-30s.

Contreras joined the Cardinals in the 2022-23 offseason, signing a five-year, $87.5M contract in free agency. He’s still guaranteed $41.5M over the remaining two seasons of that contract, which will be paid out in the form of an $18M salary in 2026, an $18.5M salary in 2027  and a $5M buyout on a $17.5M club option for the 2028 campaign. If he continues to play quality defense at first base and produce like he has at the plate through the first three seasons of this contract, there’s a good chance the Cards would exercise that option, given that it’s a net $12.5M decision once factoring in the buyout.

It’ll be another offseason punctuated by rumblings about potential trades of veterans in St. Louis this winter. Nolan Arenado candidly acknowledged as much this week, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal suggested Tuesday that Brendan Donovan’s name is likely to pop up in offseason rumors as well. Contreras has complete control over his own fate, however, by virtue of the full no-trade clause that was negotiated into that free agent contract.

Contreras made clear last offseason that he wasn’t keen on waiving that clause, so it’s fair to expect that’ll be the case again this offseason as well. It’s always possible that trades of other players on the roster and/or changes to the coaching staff could lead to a change of heart, but there’s been no indication thus far that Contreras would green-light a trade out of St. Louis.