The New York Yankees have had a quiet start to the offseason, but that could soon change.
Trent Grisham accepted his qualifying offer to return to the Yankees, while the team is still trying to re-sign Cody Bellinger. However, the team could use an upgrade at catcher as Austin Wells had his struggles last season.
MLB insider Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report predicts the Yankees will trade for star catcher Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Once the Cardinals traded Sonny Gray to the Red Sox, parting ways with both Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras became exponentially more of a “when?” situation than an “if?” proposition,” Miller wrote. “Both veterans have no-trade clauses. But The Athletic’s Katie Woo previously reported that both Arenado and Contreras are much more open to waiving those clauses than they were a year ago. The big question is which teams are most interested in acquiring them.
“For Contreras, certainly Boston would be interested. But the Yankees almost make too much sense. Given their affinity in recent years for bringing in first basemen who are already into their mid-30s. The Bronx Bombers also have a stockpile of pitching prospects. Which the Cardinals need badly enough to potentially retain a significant chunk of the $41.5M remaining on his deal.”
Contreras would be the Yankees’ starting catcher and be a middle-of-the-order bat. He’s entering the fourth year of his five-year, $87.5 million deal, which includes a club option for a sixth year in 2028.
Contreras hit .257 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs last season with the Cardinals. He’s a three-time MLB All-Star.
Contreras Open to Being Traded
With the Cardinals likely looking at a rebuild, Contreras is now open to being traded.
MLB insider Katie Woo of The Athletic reported on Dec. 2 that Contreras is indeed open to being traded, despite saying differently at the end of the season.
“They also have another name to consider shopping,” Woo wrote. “Despite saying at the end of the season that he’d prefer to stay with the Cardinals, Willson Contreras is open to trade offers and has become more willing to waive his full no-trade clause for the right fit, multiple league sources told The Athletic. Contreras has two years and $36.5 million remaining on the five-year, $85 million contract he signed ahead of the 2023 season, along with a club option worth $17.5 million in 2028.
“This will not necessarily change the Cardinals’ order of operations, but they will continue to gauge interest on Contreras and present the 10-year veteran with the option to approve a trade, should one arise.”
Contreras would need to waive his no-trade clause, and whether or not he would go to the Yankees is uncertain. But, he would fill a major need at catcher and have a chance at winning another World Series.
Yankees GM Calls Catching Market ‘Thin’
Entering the offseason, one of New York’s needs was a right-handed catcher.
The Yankees have Austin Wells and potentially Ben Rice behind the plate, but both hit left-handed. With that, New York was urged to add a right-handed catcher, but general manager Brian Cashman wasn’t sure if the team would add one.
“I’m not going to import a terrible right-handed-hitting catcher that can’t catch,” he said. “Catching is a very thin market.”
Given that catching is a thin market, perhaps the Yankees do look at the trade market, which is where Contreras could be a fit.
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