Cardinals most controversial offseason decision paid dividends in 2025

When the St. Louis Cardinals announced they were moving into a reset last September, most of us believed Willson Contreras was going to be on another team come spring training. Instead, he was fielding ground balls at first base in Jupiter.

Contreras' move to first base came as quite a surprise to many who followed the team. It's a move I had actually suggested they consider prior to the announcement, believing that keeping Contreras healthy and getting him into the lineup consistently would be a huge boost for the Cardinals' offense.

The Cardinals had the same thought, especially with the emergence of Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages, and so when Contreras made it clear that he wished to remain in St. Louis, the position change was made.

Well, given the number of jokes many fans made this year about the Cardinals having four catchers on their roster, I think it's safe to say that the position change wasn't embraced by everyone. You even had some who would critique the Cardinals by saying that the contract they gave Contreras was now somehow a failure because he was no longer catching.

Now that the 2025 season is over, let's take a look at the numbers and see how Contreras fared in his first season as the Cardinals' first baseman.

Willson Contreras proved his doubters wrong in transition to playing first base for Cardinals

One overview of Contreras' numbers and rankings among all first basemen will show you just how impactful the transition was for the Cardinals

Willson Contreras' rankings among all first basemen
123 wRC+ (12th)
.791 OPS (13th)
2.8 fWAR (t-8th)
.369 xwOBA (7th)
20 HR (15th)
80 RBI (11th)
563 PA (17th, career high)
6 OAA (4th)
-3.3 Def (3rd)
4 FRV (4th)
0 DRS (8th)

Offensively, it wasn't an "A" season from Contreras. His sluggish start to the 2025 season ended up resulting in his lowest wRC+, SLG, OBP, and AVG as a Cardinal, but he did set a career high in plate appearances due to a mostly clean bill of health and not having to load manage due to the grind of a major league catcher. So while his rate stats weren't as good as we've seen from him as a Cardinal, the goal of keeping his bat in the lineup consistently was achieved, and it helped the Cardinal offense in a big way.

Defensively, there was skepticism among some regarding Contreras' ability to man his new position, but he did so like a seasoned pro. Contreras ranked in the top four among all qualified first basemen in OAA, Def, and FRV, showing a real feel for the position after just one offseason to prepare for the shift. That move also allowed the Cardinals to experiment with Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages at the catcher position, and now in 2026, they'll look to give Herrera the keys once again.

To the skeptics and detractors who claimed that Contreras' position change meant his contract was a mistake by the Cardinals, 2025 made Contreras three for three in terms of outperforming his salary according to the FanGraphs' "Dollars" stat. Contreras was worth $22.1 million according to FanGraphs this year, and he made just $17.5 million on the year.

Plenty of teams should have interest in Contreras this offseason to upgrade their offense, and the fact that he continues to outplay his salary certainly helps. Contreras has already made it clear to Chaim Bloom that he would like to remain with the Cardinals, but he is leaving the door open for a deal if it makes sense for both Contreras and the Cardinals.

No matter how Contreras' situation plays out this offseason, his transition to first base can be chalked up as a success for the Cardinals in a year filled with disappointment.