Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras signed a 5-year, $87.5 million deal with the Cardinals and will presumably bat in an advantageous position in their lineup. He shaved seven percentage points off his K-rate, which will probably revert to somewhere in the middle in 2023. The 30-year-old has always had good on-base skills and 20-HR power, and his RBI total should hover in the 60-70 range. While he is a significantly worse pitch framer than the Hall of Famer he is replacing, St. Louis will find a way to keep his bat in the lineup. The only concern is the continued leg and ankle injuries that he experienced last year, but he comes at a discount and remains a C1 in this draft.

Willson Contreras to sign five-year deal with the Cardinals

Willson Contreras agrees to sign a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fantasy Impact

Contreras is coming off back-to-back 20 home run seasons with the Cubs. Since 2020, Contreras ranks fourth among all catchers in fWAR. The move to St. Louis is a slight ballpark downgrade, but a lineup upgrade balances it out.