St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Catcher Willson Contreras Moving to First Base in 2025

Willson Contreras, heading into the third season of his five-year, $87.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, is set to make the shocking move from catcher to first base.

Jul 29, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) throws to first against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals may have signed Willson Contreras to be the heir apparent to Yadier Molina behind the dish, but it appears as if the organization has another role in mind for him moving forward.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak was among the executives who met with the media at the MLB General Manager Meetings on Wednesday. Contreras' future was one of the topics of discussion, and Mozeliak made a shocking declaration about what the club plans to do with the 32-year-old catcher in 2025.

Contreras is set to move into a first base and designated hitter role, and it is unlikely he catches at all next season. According to Mozeliak, both Contreras and the Cardinals' front office decided it would be the best move for preserving the veteran's health and extending his career.

With Conteras vacating his spot on the depth chart, that leaves Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés as St. Louis' catchers heading into next year. Contreras taking over at first also puts another nail in the coffin for the Paul Goldschmidt era, which spanned six seasons.

The #STLCards are moving Willson Contreras to a 1B/DH role next year, John Mozeliak says. Both parties decided it would be best for his health/longevity of career. Mo says it’s “unlikely” Contreras will catch at all next year. Iván Herrera/ Pedro Pagés are in line to split time.

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) November 6, 2024

Contreras suffered a fractured left forearm in May, sending him to the injured list for seven weeks. He got sidelined again when he fractured the middle finger on his right hand in August, knocking him out for the rest of the season.

As a result, Contreras only saw action in 84 games in 2024. When he was in the lineup, Contreras hit .262 with an .848 OPS, and he was on pace for 22 home runs, 54 RBI, six stolen bases and a 4.4 WAR had he appeared in 125 games.

It isn't as if Contreras is a bad defensive catcher, either. He has never posted a negative defensive WAR in his career, and he even managed to avoid negative defensive runs saved in 2024 despite his age and injuries.

Contreras hasn't played first base since 2019. He has only made 11 appearances at the position in his big league career.

The Cardinals inked Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million contract ahead of the 2023 campaign, poaching the longtime Chicago Cubs backstop immediately after Molina retired. Molina had made 2,184 appearances at catcher over the previous 19 seasons, building up a potentially Hall of Fame-worthy resume in the process.

Contreras can still contribute with his bat, but he won't be able to succeed Molina in the way St. Louis initially hoped.

Pagés proved himself capable behind the plate in 2024, putting up a 0.9 defensive WAR and three defensive runs saved as a rookie. Herrera, on the other hand, had a -0.3 defensive WAR and -7 defensive runs saved.

Herrera, 24, hit .301 with an .800 OPS and 1.7 WAR across 72 games this year. Pagés hit .238 with a .657 OPS and 0.8 WAR in 68 games.

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