Willson Contreras is staying for now, and that's a good thing

Here's what it means for the lineup, plus what I'd like to see happen next

Per multiple outlets, two presumed leading trade candidates – catcher Willson Contreras and ace Sonny Gray – aren’t going anywhere, at least for the time being. As John Mozeliak indicated at the club’s end-of-season presser, he’d be consulting with those veterans with no-trade provisions in their contracts to see whether they wanted to be part of the organizational “reset” or be potentially dealt to a club with stronger designs on contention in 2025. Gray and Contreras, though, are sticking with St. Louis until further notice. I consider this to be good news. 

I think Gray and Contreras both have positive trade value, which means that the Cardinals should be able to get notable young talent in return for them. For this episode, though, I want to focus on Contreras and what he’d mean for the lineup. I’ll address Gray and the rotation next time out.