Tigers could target All-Star in trade with Cardinals to begin offseason upgrades

If the Detroit Tigers are going to, in the words of their President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris, find ways to raise the bar, a trade for Willson Contreras would be a starting point.

The Cardinals, who are in a period of uncertainly with their TV contract up in the air coupled with declining attendance at Busch Stadium, St. Louis is likely to move three names in Nolan Arenando, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to clear some payroll.

While all three names would be ideal for Detroit, the focus should be on Contreras, who is coming off a season in which he hit .262/.380/.468 with 15 home runs and 36 RBI. He struggled to stay healthy in 2024, missing time with a fractured left forearm in May before going down for the remainder of the year after fracturing his finger on Aug. 24.

The Tigers have Jake Rogers and Dillon Dingler, who are more known for their defense. Rogers is among the top five in Catching Framing Runs and Dingler, during his time in the minors, has one of the better pop times and can frame the baseball well. However, according to reports coming out of the GM meetings in San Antonio, Contreras will be moving to first base.

Tigers Rumors: Could Willson Contreras be a smart trade target for Detroit?

This doesn't necessarily mean he's staying in St. Louis. It could be a ploy by the Cardinals to increase his trade value. Everybody has a price, and if the Tigers offer the right deal, there's no reason to think the Cards wouldn't accept.

Offensively speaking, Contreras has posted five 20+ home run seasons, walks around a 10% clip for his career, and would be a significant upgrade to the Tigers offense. Rogers hit .197 with 10 home runs, and before he was traded, Carson Kelly hit .240 with 7 home runs. While Dingler has a good prospect pedigree, he hasn't provide himself just yet. Adding a veteran in Contreras would give them a veteran bat and presence.

In addition to behind the plate, if Spencer Torkelson is not moved and stays on the roster, having Contreras at first would allow Detroit a much more steady presence in the lineup. Harris has familiarity with Contreras, rumored to be interested in him back in 2022 during his days in the Cubs front office.

Harris has indicated this of season they will not be afraid to make trades and this idea, in principle, makes a lot of sense, especially if they can figure out a way to utilize Contreras' versatility.