The Chicago Cubs are reportedly shopping Willson Contreras after trading pitcher Yu Darvish, but what teams are in need of a starting backstop?
Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted on Tuesday that the Cubs are “now extensively shopping” Contreras. This news comes after the Cubs have cut payroll this winter by non-tendering Kyle Schwarber and trading their ace in Darvish.
Contreras is expected to make at least $5 million and could get over $7 million in arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The two-time All-Star has been solid for Chicago behind the plate and would obviously be a huge loss for a team that looks to be starting a rebuild of sorts.
With there needing to be “two sides to tango”, here are a few teams that may be interested in talking with the Cubs.
New York Yankees
The Yankees seem like a logical fit for Contreras. They are a World Series contender and would benefit from having a clear starting catcher instead of the situation that they have now.
Gary Sanchez had the worst year of his career, batting just .147 with a -0.3 WAR which resulted in him losing the starting job to Kyle Higashioka down the stretch and in the postseason.
Sanchez has shown before that he can be one of the best offensive catchers in the league, so Cubs GM Jed Hoyer could be intrigued by getting him in a Cubs uniform and being mentored by manager and former catcher David Ross.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels lost out on James McCann to the New York Mets this winter, so they are still looking for a catcher after going with numerous players at the position on short-term deals the past few seasons.
GM Perry Minasian will want a leader behind the dish to guide his pitching staff and he would get it with Contreras. A lineup that features Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Contreras, and Shohei Ohtani would be fun to watch.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals have had conversations with J.T. Realmuto‘s agent and seem like the only real suitor for his services other than Philadelphia, but odds are Realmuto returns to the Phillies.
Yan Gomes is currently the starting catcher and he is a few years removed from his prime when he was with Cleveland, so adding another catcher to pair with him is likely one of Mike Rizzo’s priorities this winter.
Contreras has worked with great pitchers in the past–Jon Lester, Darvish, Kyle Hendricks and others–so he should not have a problem catching Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin.
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