St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras. Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Why trading Willson Contreras is a bad idea for the Cardinals

By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 4:58 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are at a critical juncture. Now is the time to rebuild and focus on the future.

That is likely to include trades of some very popular players such as Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, but Katie Woo of The Athletic noted that first baseman Willson Contreras could be included in that group.

"With a front-office transition looming and a rebuild likely, Contreras could be involved in offseason conversations. The 33-year-old has two years remaining on the five-year, $87.5 million deal he signed before the 2023 season, and has a full no-trade clause built into his deal. However, with St. Louis continuing to pivot towards younger players and lowering payroll, Contreras could be enticed to at least consider other options," Woo wrote last week.

Contreras is out for the season after suffering a biceps strain. He hit .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI and a .791 OPS this season.

However, even with St. Louis transitioning to a new era and rebuilding, trading Contreras would be a bad idea.

Why the Cardinals shouldn't trade Willson Contreras

First of all, Contreras has not expressed any desire to leave St. Louis and has repeatedly stated that he wants to stay, even as the team rebuilds. But there are other reasons that the Cardinals should keep him around.

It's almost a given that St. Louis will be trading some key veterans and trying to open up spots for younger players. It will be a very youthful team again in 2026. With all of the young players still in the mix, St. Louis needs to have at least one veteran leader around.

Players respect Contreras and the passion and fire he brings to the game. Without that, the Cardinals wouldn't have a leader to help rally the troops.

Contreras is also the only player on the team to have hit 20 home runs. The Cardinals don't have much power, but he is the one hitter in their lineup who is capable of it. They need to have at least one slugger in their mix so they can have different ways to score runs in 2026. Without him, they lose the power aspect completely.

Ultimately, it depends on whether he is willing to waive his no-trade clause, but even if the Cardinals aren't contending, it will be important for them to at least have a veteran presence around and a slugger in their lineup that can do damage.

Curt Bishop

Curt Bishop is a freelance sportswriter who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of communication. Curt primarily covers Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.

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