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Bernie Show: Contreras on the move!
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Willson Contreras is on the move ... but he isn't really going anywhere. He's staying in St. Louis, staying with the Cardinals, but he'll head to first base to take over for the departing Paul Goldschmidt. So that's his move: from starting catcher, to starting first baseman. And he'll obviously log plenty of at-bats as a designated hitter ... which is good, because it's important to have his outstanding offense in the regular lineup.
Contreras will have to work hard to prepare for his new position, but he's a dedicated individual who will put in the necessary time. The Cardinals should assign a coach to work with him this winter. Contreras has three years left on his five-year, $87.5 million contract. And that's fine because there's good value in his bat.
But there were other reasons for the move. The Cardinals are loaded with catchers. Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages are already here, playing a lot of innings for the big-league club in 2024. But two catching prospects are in the pipeline, not far away. I'm referring to Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal. Crooks has a left-handed swing that pummels right-handed pitching. Bernal is a switch hitter that is still developing offensively -- but he'll be a big leaguer soon enough. If the Cardinals remain committed to Contreras and he remains committed to them, this is a sensible move. Especially with 2025 being set aside as a rebuilding-type of year. It's a good time to convert Contreras to first base. And a good time to give Herrera (especially) all of the innings he can handle. Because Herrera's offense will be an asset.
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