Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol re-opens positional flexibility for key trade piece

When the St. Louis Cardinals and Willson Contreras mutually agreed to have the veteran move to first base, the assumption was that this would be a permanent transition. After nine years of wear and tear behind the dish, Contreras and the organization found it best to move to first base. This move would, in theory, keep him healthier and allow him to elevate his offensive game to another level.

When the move was initially made, former president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was confident this move would be permanent. “I would say it’ll be very unlikely to see him behind the plate,” Mozeliak said at the time. This move to first base opened up catching time for Ivan Herrera, who missed his fair share of time in 2025, and Pedro Pages.

Contreras's inaugural season as a full-time first baseman was solid. He finished the year with a .257/.344/.447 slash line for a .791 OPS. He hit 20 home runs and drove in 80 runners in 135 games for a 123 OPS+.

The health was certainly there for Contreras, posting a career high in plate appearances with 563 on the year. Despite being hit by 23 pitches, Contreras's stints on the Injured List were brief. From a health perspective, the move to first base was a huge success.

One of the worries with Contreras moving to first base was on the defensive side of the game. The Cardinals were going from Paul Goldschmidt, who was entering free agency, to Contreras, who, at the time, had logged only 11 appearances at first base at the time. Contreras accumulated six Outs Above Average, fourth in all of baseball. He was a negative defender according to Defensive Runs Saved, but only marginally. For all intents and purposes, Contreras was an excellent first baseman last year.

However, there's a chance that Contreras could still find himself behind the plate in the near future.

St. Louis Cardinals Oliver Marmol doesn't close the door on Willson Contreras catching again.

While speaking with Foul Territory at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol spoke about Willson Contreras's market this winter.

"He has a passion for it, and if needed, I wouldn't put it past him to be able to go back (to catching) and still do it," said Marmol of Contreras potentially going back to catching. "I think there's some versatility there."

This quote by Marmol could simply be gamemanship. Contreras has been receiving ample interest in the trade market this winter. By saying he would be open to catching again, it only raises Contreras's trade value.

If Willson Contreras stays with the Cardinals for the 2026 season, he won't see time behind the plate. The Cardinals are looking to return Ivan Herrera to part-time catching duties, and the club also has Pedro Pages, Yohel Pozo, and Jimmy Crooks as immediate backup. Re-opening the discussion surrounding Willson Contreras's catching abilities would be intriguing to a team looking to trade for him. Teams like the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox would all be good fits for Willson.