Key veterans look to remain with Cardinals, but one may not

Following the reports on Wednesday that Willson Contreras will be moving to first base for the St. Louis Cardinals, additional reports began trickling in regarding other veterans who were rumored to be on the trade block.

One such player who was mentioned was Sonny Gray. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, as sources have said that Gray is a player who is willing to stay through the organization's reset. This leaves the Cardinals with two key veterans to guide a core of young players over the next two or three seasons.

Willson Contreras has been a team player throughout his stint with the Cardinals. In his first season in St. Louis, he was able to brush aside the reports that he wouldn't be catching anymore and could instead move to the outfield. He didn't let his own pitchers calling him out bother his performance, either.

Last year, Contreras fought back from a broken wrist to come back and play for the Cardinals in the stretch run. Despite his injuries, Contreras was still seen in the clubhouse and dugout throughout the year supporting his teammates and guiding young players.

Now, Willson is willing to switch off a position he's called home for nearly a decade. His willingness to sacrifice for the team is admirable, and he's the perfect player to guide young players through this reset.

Sonny Gray signed with the Cardinals last offseason to help direct and lead the pitching staff. He did that last year as the team's resident "ace" of sorts. While his statistics may not have been as dominant as they were in 2023, Gray was still a steadying force for an otherwise turbulent rotation. According to league sources, Sonny Gray also prefers to ride out the reset in St. Louis.

With both Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray willing to stay, that leaves one prominent player with a no-trade clause left to figure out. That would be third-baseman Nolan Arenado.

Arenado opted to stay with the Cardinals following the 2022 season through 2027. He believed the team was in a competitive window, and he was searching for his first World Series trophy in his career. With the team changing directions for 2025 and likely 2026, Arenado may be interested in being traded to a team with a more immediate competitive window.

Teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Houston Astros could all feasibly afford Arenado's contract these next three years while also having a need at the hot corner.

Time will tell this offseason if Arenado stays with the team, but having Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras on the roster to guide young players like Masyn Winn, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, and Jordan Walker, the team should remain competitive while the "reset" occurs.