How Willson Contreras’ deal impacts Cardinals, MLB’s catcher market
Jordan Shusterman
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
SAN DIEGO — It took some time, however the first domino of an enchanting offseason catching market has fallen. With the Yadier Molina period formally within the rearview, the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a five-year, $87.5 million take care of Willson Contreras, baseball’s high free-agent catcher.
It’s not simply that the Cardinals are filling the sneakers of a franchise legend in Molina with a participant whom their fan base has been rooting towards for the previous half-decade as one of many faces of the rival Chicago Cubs. Contreras additionally represents a major departure stylistically from the type of participant Molina was, particularly within the latter a part of his profession. Since debuting in 2016, Contreras has been essentially the most constantly productive hitter on the catching place this facet of JT Realmuto. Contreras’ 128 OPS+ in 2022 was a career-best, and a mark Molina final reached again in 2013. Signing Contreras doesn’t simply tackle an apparent positional want, it additionally provides official thump to a lineup that lacked depth past the MVP-caliber seasons of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado and the outstanding final hurrah of Albert Pujols.
Defensively, opinions of Contreras have been blended through the years. His receiving, framing and blocking have fluctuated from below-average to strong, whereas his finest asset behind the dish is a powerful arm and fast launch. It’d be unfair to count on any catcher tasked with following Molina to reside as much as his legendary status as one of many nice subject generals in baseball historical past. Nonetheless, Contreras is a superb athlete for his place and there’s no cause to assume he can’t enhance at a few of the extra refined parts of catching along with his new group. Although Molina could also be retired, the usual and instance he set by way of game-planning and in-game changes could function a helpful template for Contreras to lean on in any efforts to enhance his defensive chops.
In the end, St. Louis determined Contreras’ offensive impression comfortably offset any questions transferring ahead about his talents behind the plate, making him one of the best ways to handle the obvious gap on the roster. A longtime Cub in Cardinals threads could take some getting used to, however we gained’t have to begin interested by that till spring coaching. Extra broadly, this signing has vital ramifications for the remainder of the catching market, each in free company and commerce within the coming days.
Listed here are the largest questions sparked by Contreras coming off the board:
1. The place does Sean Murphy find yourself?
Recall that the baseball world arrived on the Winter Conferences at the beginning of the week to reviews {that a} commerce of A’s catcher Sean Murphy was getting shut, suggesting that his time in Oakland was all however over. The Cardinals have been reportedly within the combine for Murphy however opted for Contreras as an alternative, leaving Murphy for groups like Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and now reportedly Arizona, to place collectively the very best package deal to entice Oakland into lastly pulling the set off.
2. Does a Murphy commerce occur earlier than a Blue Jays catcher commerce?
With Contreras off the board, we could now be coming into one thing of a staring contest between Oakland and Toronto, as every membership appears to be like to make sure they safe the appropriate deal if they’ll commerce away a catcher. With Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno and Danny Jansen, the Blue Jays have a number of choices as to whom they may flip, and every of them has a distinct degree of attraction relative to Murphy. We don’t know the way the groups pursuing catchers worth Murphy versus the Toronto catchers — we can not assume that the identical groups are speaking to each Oakland and Toronto. On the identical time, your entire catching market is indisputably linked and the sequence of transactions will impression one another it doesn’t matter what.
3. How do the Astros pivot?
Contreras was reportedly one in all Houston’s high targets in free company, particularly following Justin Verlander’s take care of the Mets. Buying and selling throughout the AL West for Murphy could also be unlikely, so maybe we see the Astros get within the combine for one of many Blue Jays or flip to the subsequent tier of free-agent backstops … which incorporates who, precisely?
4. Who’s the subsequent free-agent catcher to signal?
In contrast to with the shortstops or the beginning pitching market, the place a number of elite choices have been/can be found, Contreras existed clearly in his personal tier amongst his positional friends. The following group contains the likes of Christian Vazquez, Omar Narvaez, Gary Sanchez and Mike Zunino. There’s one other slight drop after that to offense-first gamers like Jorge Alfaro and defensive specialists Austin Hedges, Roberto Perez and Tucker Barnhart. These are all helpful gamers however only a few of that are assured upgrades to the present starters on contending groups — that’s what makes Murphy so invaluable and engaging on this context, particularly with Contreras now not in play.
The latest reports indicate that along with the oft-mentioned Guardians and Astros, the Red Sox and Twins are two different groups with postseason aspirations searching for a catcher.
5. Will we see a catcher commerce or signing occur subsequent?
Groups presently within the combine for a catcher are seemingly weighing the acquisition prices for the subsequent tier of free brokers versus pursuing Murphy or one of many Jays trio. That is the place the game of musical chairs actually comes into play. Groups that desire a catcher don’t need to find yourself with out the most effective choices out there; groups that need to transfer a catcher don’t need to wait for his or her very best commerce companions to fill the place by means of different avenues. Do the A’s and Jays simply watch for all the most effective free-agent catchers to signal with the intention to extract extra prospect worth from a group that loses out on these choices? It’s a fragile dance, however the Contreras signing is certain to kickstart extra motion on the catcher market quickly.
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Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball author for FOX Sports activities. He has lined baseball for his complete grownup life, most notably for MLB.com, DAZN and The Ringer. He is a Mariners fan dwelling within the Japanese Time Zone, which suggests he loves a great 10 p.m. first pitch. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @j_shusterman_.
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