(Audacy) Cubs fans waited 108 years between their second and third World Series titles, but catcher Willson Contreras made his MLB debut for the team in June 2016 and had a championship to show for it less than five months later.
Since debuting in 2016, Contreras is fourth in WAR among catchers, trailing only J.T. Realmuto, Yasmani Grandal and Buster Posey, per FanGraphs. Contreras has represented the Cubs in the All-Star Game on three different occasions and has cemented his place as one of the best players that the franchise has employed in the last 25 years.
But as Contreras hits free agency for the first time, he's widely expected to leave the Cubs for a new organization. MLB Trade Rumors has projected that Contreras will land a four-year, $84-million deal.
With that in mind, here are five potential landing spots for Contreras.
Houston Astros
Kirby Lee/USA Today SportsThe Astros are once again interested in Contreras, Jon Heyman of the New York Post and Audacy Sports reported, after they nearly acquired him from the Cubs this past summer before the trade deadline. The catch is that James Click was the general manager back then and no longer is now. Owner Jim Crane and manager Dusty Baker remain and reportedly decided the trade wouldn't happen. It's difficult to change catchers during the regular season, especially when you would be acquiring an offensive-first one in the form of Contreras. Perhaps the powers that be in Houston will decide it makes more sense than it did a few months ago to acquire Contreras.
St. Louis Cardinals
Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty ImagesFor the better part of the last two decades, the Cardinals haven't had to worry about who their catcher would be. But Yadier Molina retired after a 19-year career, leaving a vacancy behind the plate. Contreras isn't in the same stratosphere as Molina defensively, but he'd be an excellent addition to a veteran lineup that already includes Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. This, of course, would be the toughest landing spot for Cubs fans to stomach.
Detroit Tigers
Michael McLoone/USA Today SportsFrom an optics sense, the Tigers may not be inclined to sign another former Cubs star to a lucrative contract given that they got mixed results, at best, in the first season of shortstop Javier Báez's six-year, $140-million deal. Truthfully though, that shouldn't impact the decision-making of new president of baseball operations Scott Harris. Contreras would be a massive offensive improvement over what the Tigers got from Tucker Barnhart in 2022. With Miguel Cabrera set to retire after the 2023 season, the designated hitter slot would also be an option for Contreras as he ages.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Justin Casterline/Getty ImagesBetween Carson Kelly at catcher and Seth Beer at DH, Contreras could help the Diamondbacks to fix two of their biggest needs. We'll see if the Diamondbacks are willing to make the financial commitment it will take to land Contreras, but winning a division in which the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are among the top spenders in the sport -- and the San Francisco Giants may be as well in 2023 -- without making major investments increasingly feels unrealistic.
Minnesota Twins
Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesGary Sánchez is a free agent, and Contreras would represent a clear upgrade for the Twins. If Carlos Correa departs in free agency, the Twins will have more than $35 million coming off the books. A chunk of that could go toward adding Contreras, with the Twins looking to rebound from a disappointing 78-84 season.
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