Rumor has it, Cubs‘ catcher Willson Contreras is on the trade block. With that thought at the back of Cubs’ fans’ minds, what would the perfect Willson Contreras trade look like? There are many potential suitors for the star catcher and many more potential packages, with all waiting on J.T. Realmuto to sign somewhere.
What Could Contreras Land?
Willson Contreras is one of – if not the best – offensive catchers in baseball. If the Cubs are not trying to get a king’s ransom for Contreras, they should not have trouble trading him. What could the Cubs get in return? For starters, Contreras should be able to fetch a top-15 prospect, depending on the team and other pieces involved. Best case scenario, Contreras land two quality prospects.
Potential Suitors in Perfect Willson Contreras Trade
The perfect Willson Contreras trade would need to come from a team looking to make the jump to contention sooner rather than later. Teams such as the Giants, Pirates, Red Sox, and Orioles are not the right suitors for any party involved.
The perfect suitor would also need a catcher. Therefore, teams such as the Twins, Braves, Dodgers, and White Sox are also out of the running. As all four are in good shape behind the plate.
With nine teams already ruled out (nine, if you count the Cubs), what teams make the most sense? Many teams are in line for a change behind the plate, for example, the New York Yankees. The Yankees seem to be swaying away from young catcher Gary Sanchez, but if the Yankees cannot unload Sanchez, they have no reason to pursue Contreras.
Another team that seems as though they should be in the hunt for a new catcher is the Philadelphia Phillies. Although the Phillies have seemed to lose Realmuto to free agency, they have more to focus on than a catcher in order to turn their franchise around.
There are three destinations that could facilitate the perfect Willson Contreras trade; the first being the Colorado Rockies. For this to make sense the Rockies need to commit to contending and dip into the free-agent market as well as the trade market. Contreras, alone, would not make the Rockies Contenders.
The second perfect fit is the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, a top third baseman in Anthony Rendon, and seem to be a front runner for Trevor Bauer. Adding Contreras to the mix can make the Angels an instant contender in the AL West.
The third and final team is the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays fell two games short of the World Series in 2020 and adding to that they have one of the top prospect pools in baseball. The addition of Contreras could very well give the Rays the boost they need to win their first World Series.
The Perfect Willson Contreras Trade
For the Cubs to get the perfect Willson Contreras trade the Rockies need to get involved, involved in a potential league-shifting blockbuster. Said blockbuster would see the Cubs killing two birds with one stone, while sending Contreras they would also send Kris Bryant. Now, Cubs fans have not liked the idea of cutting ties with Bryant, but at this point, it may be a must-do move.
With this trade centered around two key pieces of the Cubs, the Rockies would need to pay a price, that price starting with Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado. A two for one swap of Contreras and Bryant for Arenado would make the Cubs worse and not fix anything. Therefore the Rockies would also include two prospects, right-hander Chris McMahon who is the eighth-ranked prospect in Colorado’s system, and infield prospect Julio Carreras who is the 24th ranked prospect in the Rockies system.
Cubs fans may not like the idea of Contreras and Bryant for Arenado and two prospects, but the matter of fact is Contreras and Bryant are on their way out, and adding Arenado to the Cubs may, in fact, make them better. Plus, the addition of Mcmahon helps the Cubs’ pitching in the long run. Therefore making a Rockies-Cubs blockbuster the perfect Willson Contreras trade.
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