Former Chicago Cubs World Series Champion Expected To Be On Trade Block

A past World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs could be traded this offseason.

Aug 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) bats during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs are getting an early start to their offseason again after failing to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stated they are building for 2025 when they made the surprising decision to not sell off their assets at the trade deadline and instead added pieces to their roster. But that also creates a ton of pressure on the front office if those goals aren't met.

For the Cubs to get back into the playoffs, there are clear areas they need to upgrade.

Despite the bullpen performing better in the latter part of the year, that is still a weak unit on this roster that needs to be reshaped to ensure they aren't the reason why Chicago loses games.

Another position that could use an addition is at catcher.

Miguel Amaya didn't take the next step in his career they were hoping for when they turned over the full-time starting role to him, resulting in the Cubs having one of the worst offensive outputs from that spot in their lineup in the league.

Star prospect Moises Ballesteros has done nothing but impress during his time in the minors, making it to Triple-A last season while still hitting at a high rate, but it doesn't sound like Chicago is ready to call him up to their big league roster just yet.

As they weigh some options regarding potential upgrades, one who could end up becoming available for trade this winter is former Cubs World Series champion Willson Contreras.

According to John Denton of MLB.com, the St. Louis Cardinals might be looking to trade some of their high-priced players this offseason as they shake up their front office. John Mozeliak will continue to be their president of baseball operations until next year is over, before turning things over to Chaim Bloom.

"Much of Mozeliak's responsibilities in the coming months will be helping the Cardinals trim some of their payroll and long-term contracts via trades as they shift their focus more toward their young core of players. Highly paid veterans such as Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Ryan Helsley could be moved," he writes.

Contreras still has three years and $54.5 million left on the deal he signed with the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 season, something that was not a popular decision among Chicago fans.

After being signed as an international free agent by the Cubs in 2009, he was called up to their Major League roster in the summer of 2016 and played a huge role in them ending their World Series drought.

He finished his seven-year tenure in Chicago with a .256/.349/.459 slash line, 117 home runs, 365 RBI and an OPS+ of 114. He's turned into an even better hitter in St. Louis by getting more reps in the DH role.

It's not known if the Cubs would be interested in pursuing a reunion, but since he might be made available this winter, he could be an option as they search for upgrades at catcher.