5 teams who could entice Cardinals' Willson Contreras to waive his no-trade clause

As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to shop a variety of players this offseason, Willson Contreras has made it known that he prefers to stay with the organization. Contreras has met with the Cardinals' new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, to discuss the direction of the Cardinals moving forward, and even with an emphasis being placed on the future, Contreras would like to see his commitment to the city of St. Louis through.

While the players in the locker room, the front office, and of course, this fan base, surely appreciate Contreras' loyalty to this organization that, to be frank, hasn't always shown that same level of commitment to him, it's also clear that the club will still explore opportunities for Contreras to play elsewhere in 2026. Contreras does hold a no-trade clause, so he is in full control of whether or not he stays in St. Louis, but he did leave the door open for a trade if it is in the best interest of both him and the Cardinals.

So, while Contreras has been clear that he wants to stay, it is worth considering what teams could pique his interest this offseason and cause him to consider waiving his no-trade clause.

Here are five teams that Willson Contreras could be interested in a trade to this offseason

San Diego Padres

Just knocked out of the playoffs by the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres are always active and aggressive when it comes to team building, and I fully expect their president of baseball operations and general manager, A.J. Preller, to look to make upgrades this winter.

The Padres, despite star talent like Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts, finished 13th in baseball in wRC+ as a team and 18th in runs scored, clearly lacking the firepower necessary to score runs at a high level. Luis Arraez and Ryan O'Hearn are set to hit free agency, and with multiple high-level pitchers of theirs hitting the market as well, the Padres are going to have to get creative in how they upgrade their offense and maintain a good pitching staff.

Contreras could provide them with another middle-of-the-order bat and fiery personality for their clubhouse. The Padres are a team that feeds off energy, and Contreras would fit right in. While Contreas is not on a "bad" contract like Nolan Arenado or Sonny Gray, my guess is that it wouldn't cost a ton to acquire him in a deal, making a move easier for the Padres to pull off.