Willson Contreras is getting some well-earned recognition after a huge season, but his Silver Slugger nomination at first base doesn’t have to be read as a knock on the Cardinals.
Contreras turned in a monster year in his first season outside the NL Central, batting .275/.386/.516 with career-best numbers in home runs, with 27, and wRC+, at 151. It was the kind of bat-first, star-level production that never fully materialized in St. Louis, and now it has landed him among the Silver Slugger finalists at first base.
Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles is the stiff competition standing in his way, so there’s a real chance Contreras doesn’t take home the award for the first time in his career. Still, just being in the mix says plenty about how well the Red Sox’s trade for him has worked out.
That doesn’t automatically mean the Cardinals botched the process.
Contreras’ time in St. Louis was messy from the start.
He arrived as the expected successor to Yadier Molina behind the plate, but injuries and defensive issues kept him from ever fully delivering on that plan. Once the Cardinals decided their competitive core was fading, they moved him to first base and, in the process, effectively closed the book on his partnership with Paul Goldschmidt.
At the time, the decision drew plenty of criticism. The original five-year, $88.5 million contract was a major commitment, and it made sense when the Cardinals viewed him as Molina’s replacement. Once that role disappeared, though, he looked more like an expensive veteran slugger than the centerpiece they had signed.
But Contreras answered in a big way. In his first year at first base in 2025, he hit 20 homers, posted +6 Outs Above Average, and, just as importantly, stayed on the field for more than 130 games for only the second time in his career.
That kind of rebound gave his value a real boost and opened the door for St. Louis to move off the contract and still bring back real prospect talent.
And that’s the part that matters now. Yes, the Red Sox are benefiting from what Contreras became after the switch.
But the Cardinals’ willingness to make the move also helped them land Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Dobbins will miss most or all of 2027 after Tommy John surgery, which hurts, but Fajardo had a terrific year in the minors and Aita remains part of the return.
Those additions should help deepen the organization’s pitching pipeline in the years ahead.
In other words, Contreras’ success doesn’t erase the Cardinals’ logic. It explains it.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Made A Front Office Move Fans Needed To See
The Cardinals have made another significant move in their baseball operations department, promoting Rob Cerfolio to general manager after two seasons in the organization. Cerfolio arrived two offseasons ago as assistant general manager and now steps into a larger role under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, giving St. Louis a familiar face in a key spot as the front office continues to take shape.
The timing matters, too, with the club adjusting after assistant GM Randy Flores left for the Houston Astros. Keeping Cerfolio in the building helps preserve continuity at a moment when the Cardinals are looking to steady their leadership structure and keep the decision-making chain intact. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Put A Huge Part Of Their Turnaround On One Executive
The Cardinals front office reshuffle has put a familiar name in a much bigger chair. Rob Cerfolio has been promoted to general manager after Michael Girsch was moved into an advisor role, a change that underscores how much St. Louis has leaned on Cerfolio since he arrived in October 2024 as assistant general manager overseeing player development. His impact on the farm system has been one of the quieter reasons the organization has felt more stable of late, even as the big league side has continued to search for the right formula.
Cerfolio now steps into the job alongside Chaim Bloom, giving the Cardinals a leadership structure that still includes a strong executive and scouting group around him. The promotion also says plenty about where the organization believes its turnaround work has been happening, and how central player development has become to the bigger picture in St. Louis. What remains to be seen is how the new alignment will shape the next phase of the clubs roster-building plan. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face A Tough Third Base Decision With Bigger Needs Looming
The Cardinals are entering the winter with a familiar sort of roster question at third base, and it is one they have not solved through internal churn. After cycling through several options last season without finding a clear answer, the front office has reason to look outside the organization, with free agency offering at least one name in Alec Bohm. Even so, the fit is not especially clean, which is part of what makes this spot such a tricky one to address.
St. Louis also has to balance that need against bigger roster priorities, especially on the pitching side, where the spending may matter more. That leaves open the possibility that the Cardinals open next season with an internal candidate at third and keep their resources pointed elsewhere, even if the position remains a lingering weak spot. It is the kind of decision that can shape the rest of the offseason, because fixing one hole may mean leaving another one to wait. [Read more 🡒]