Trade candidate Contreras wants to be veteran mentor on Cards 

CHICAGO -- Coming off one of the strongest power seasons of his career and heading into an uncertain winter for a team looking to continue rebuilding from its Minor League system, Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras said Saturday ahead of a 7-3 loss to the Cubs that he would be open to a trade under certain circumstances, but that he is more than willing to stick it out in St. Louis as a mentor to what will surely be a young team in 2026 and beyond.

“I’d like to be a part of a young team that needs to have some kind of experience around them,” Contreras said. “That’s what I expressed, but I understand the part of the business of the team, and we just came to an agreement there.”

Contreras, 33, reached the 20-homer plateau for the sixth time in his career and the second time in three seasons in St. Louis. He set new career highs with 80 RBIs and 563 plate appearances, helped in part by a move from behind the plate to first base.

“He has a mindset for it, and his style of play -- as far as how he feels about it -- has been impressive, win or lose,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s gonna give you everything he’s got. I enjoy the fact that he likes being here, he likes what we’re doing, he wants to be a part of it.”

Last winter, with the Cardinals kicking off a renewed focus on their player development system, Contreras declined to waive his no-trade clause with three guaranteed seasons remaining on the contract he signed as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season. Now, with one more year down, he was willing to soften his stance after meeting with incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, but he still professed a desire and willingness to help a young team grow through the challenges of learning to navigate the big leagues.

“I like challenges,” he explained. “I know that the St. Louis Cardinals have a really good track record of being a winning team. I know that right now we’re not having a really good team -- or we’re not having a winning team -- but I’d just like to be a part of the process.

“I understand that it might take three to five years to have a playoff team or a team that can contend to the World Series, and I said even if I don’t make it there, and you guys make it to a World Series, I feel like I can be proud of that, just because I want to help young guys to better develop and have a better idea of what baseball is besides going to analyze stats.”

Third baseman Nolan Arenado has been explicit in his belief that a trade is likely this winter and that it would be the best path for both him and the team. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray acknowledged a willingness after his last start to pursue a new destination that could allow him to have a chance at winning on a faster timeline than the Cardinals are likely to track along. Those two, along with Contreras, represent the only three players with guaranteed non-arbitration contracts in 2026.

If all three were to be traded, the club would likely be treading into entirely uncharted waters from an experience perspective. That could make Contreras’ willingness to stay and work as a veteran mentor all the more valuable, though it would have ripples elsewhere on the roster.

Alec Burleson has bounced between designated hitter, first base and the corner-outfield spots this season, and has taken over at first full-time since Contreras was placed on the injured list with a right shoulder strain on Sept. 17, ending his season. If Contreras remains in St. Louis next year, Burleson would likely be on the same path, as the team believes he has more than seized the opportunity to establish himself as an everyday hitter.

That, in turn, could put further pressure on finding playing time for Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker, neither of whom have fully seized on the opportunities laid out for them in 2025.

“I’m a guy that always believes in my intuition and feeling,” Contreras said. “If something comes up to [Bloom] that makes a lot of sense for him and the organization, and it makes sense for me and my future, how about we talk about that? But as of right now, I would just like to be part of the process.”