5 trade partners who could convince Willson Contreras to leave the Cardinals

Seattle Mariners

Yes, the Seattle Mariners just re-signed Josh Naylor to a five-year deal, but with them being in the thick of their championship window, they should be ultra-aggressive in looking to make an upgrade on their roster. While trading for Contreras wouldn't be cheap, he'd provide great offensive production for less than it would take to acquire someone like Brendan Donovan.

The Mariners' offense was awesome in 2025, but with Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco hitting free agency, they do have bats to replace. On top of that, they got an all-time great season out of Cal Raleigh, and while I expect him to compete for an MVP again in 2026, expecting him to put up another 161 wRC+ season behind the plate with 60 bombs is unfair.

Seattle needs to be aggressive in fighting for a World Series title in 2026. They came so close to making the Fall Classic this past year, and with a potential lockout looming in 2027, their window could fall apart quicker than it opened if they are not careful. They are loaded with pitching, have a ton of great pieces in their lineup already, and their farm system is in a really strong place. They are prepped to go for it right now, and Contreras would be an excellent piece to take them to the next level.

Fitting his bat into the lineup is not all that difficult. Naylor or Contreras could play first base while the other is the designated hitter, and Dominic Canzone, who broke out for them in a big way last year, can man right field on a consistent basis with Victor Robles starting against left-handed pitching.

Adding Contreras' fiery personality would make Seattle even more fun to watch. Between him, Raleigh, Rodriguez, Naylor, and Arozarena, they'd have some of the best energy in baseball, and pair that with a lockdown bullpen and a top-three rotation in the game. They would easily be the favorite in the American League and would be able to give the Dodgers a fight in the World Series, should they get there.

Again, acquiring Contreras will cost them something, but their farm system is strong enough to do so, plus it won't require any of their big league arms to do so, which is huge for them to put their best foot forward to compete in 2026.