Trading Willson Contreras would be a mistake for the Cardinals

Why trading Willson Contreras would be a mistake for the Cardinals

Contreras originally stated that the Cardinals would need veteran voices around to guide their rebuild and that he wanted to be a part of it.

That alone would be a good reason for the Cardinals not to trade him. He is now one of the longest-tenured members of the team and has been a veteran leader for a young ballclub since arriving in 2023.

If he is ultimately traded, the Cardinals lose that veteran presence in the clubhouse. Their lineup also would take a hit.

The 33-year-old slugger led the team with 20 home runs this past season, posted a .791 OPS and adapted nicely to first base. While the Cardinals have options to play first base, they would lose that powerful presence in the middle of their order if Contreras is traded away.

It would help for them to have a proven bat in the lineup who has been around for several years, even while they're rebuilding. He can still be somebody they build around, and he can pass the torch on to younger players when his contract ends.

The Cardinals don't necessarily have to tear their roster down, and as long as they don't do that, they have a chance to at least stay around the .500 mark. Without Contreras, they could regress to where they were in 2023, when they went 71-91 and finished in last place in the National League Central.

There would be no proven power threat in the lineup, and the Cardinals already don't hit a ton of home runs. They hit just 148 in 2025, the second fewest in Major League Baseball.

Ultimately, it would be wise to keep Contreras around for at least one more year. He may choose to waive his no-trade clause, which could change things, but as long as he wants to stay, the Cardinals shouldn't even consider trading him to another team so they can at least stay in the middle of the pack in the NL Central.