Much like Thanos in “The Avengers,” Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras becoming a member of the New York Yankees before this year’s trade deadline is over seems inevitable.
Why Willson Contreras seems destined to become a member of the New York Yankees at some point this season
It doesn’t take too deep of a dive into the production put forth by this year’s New York Yankees catching tandem to see why the 30-year-old Contreras should be considered a perfect fit for a team that seems to have all of the other tools necessary to make a deep run into the 2022 postseason. Kyle Higashioka is slashing .161/.210/.214 in 64 plate appearances this season (heading into Tuesday’s action) while Jose Trevino is logging a .196/.255/.275 slash line in 55 plate appearances. They have combined for -0.6 bWAR, tied for 23rd among the 30 MLB teams. They have also combined for one home run and 11 RBI.
Simply put, the Band-Aid the Yankees thought they might have behind the plate after trading Gary Sánchez to the Minnesota Twins hasn’t lived up to the hopes.
Contreras, meanwhile, is slashing .283/.397/.509 with five homers and 14 RBI. He is eligible to become a free agent after this season, making the timing of a Cubs-Yankees trade centered around him even more appealing.
Chicago has kept Contreras in limbo with his contract and pay so far this season. Rather than signing Contreras to a one-year (or longer) deal before the season began, the Cubs chose to go the arbitration route with him. As of the publication of this article, that arbitration hearing has still not been finalized, with the Cubs reportedly offering $9 million and Contreras wanting $10.25 million this season.
Contreras has said that he knows the Cubs are in a rebuild stage. That means that he could be the next centerpiece of a Cubs trade, much like Anthony Rizzo was when he was dealt to the Yankees before the 2021 trade deadline.
Bringing Contreras to the Bronx makes too much sense, both for a Cubs team looking to add to its future and a Yankees team in need of some help in the present behind the plate. Now all the Yankees have to do is snap their fingers and turn the inevitability into a reality.