Chicago Cubs: 3 potential free agent destinations for Willson Contreras

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Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras is going to get paid this offseason. The question is by who.

One has to imagine that the Cubs are going to look to keep Contreras around. They had every opportunity to trade him before the deadline, only to keep him in town. Chances are, this means that Contreras will receive the Qualifying Offer to stay in Chicago. As he is likely staring down a much more lucrative deal in the open market, it should be an easy decision to turn that down.

Three landing spots for Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras

That is especially the case knowing that he will have plenty of options on the open market. There will be plenty of teams looking to improve their catching situation, with Contreras as the best free agent at the position. It is just a matter of which team is going to pay enough to land his services.

Willson Contreras is the best catcher that will potentially be available in free agency. Let’s take a look at three probable landings spots for the Chicago Cubs backstop.

Chicago Cubs

Let’s start with his current team.

There is no way that the Chicago Cubs kept Contreras in town with the expectation that he would depart in free agency. The plan was to, at minimum, extend the Qualifying Offer in a hope to buy a little more time to extend their longtime backstop.

Keeping Contreras would help the Cubs goal of returning to contention. He has been one of the better offensive catchers in the game and would be a vital piece in the middle of their lineup. He is the type of player they can build around, adding another bat or two to what could be a faster rebuild than could be expected.

But it all comes down to Contreras. While he has said he would like to remain with the Cubs, it still comes down to what else is out there. They are going to have to make a strong offer to keep him on board as he will hit free agency in just a few short weeks.

The Chicago Cubs have to be considered the favorites to keep Willson Contreras. However, they are going to have plenty of competition for his services.

Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports /

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros were considered one of the top landing spots for Willson Contreras at the trade deadline.

Instead, the Chicago Cubs removed him from the trade block. The Astros then pivoted to Christian Vazquez in an attempt to solidify the position. Not only did Vazquez fail to unseat Martin Maldonado, but he is also a free agent at the end of the season. This would essentially leave Houston in the same spot behind the plate heading into next year as they were this season.

While the Astros clearly value Maldonado’s defense and command of the pitching staff, they also need far more offensively. His .186/.248/.352 batting line is not nearly good enough, no matter how strong of a glove he may have.

Enter Contreras. He ended the year with a .243/.349/.466 batting line in his 487 plate appearances, belting 22 homers and 23 doubles. He has even worked to improve his defense, throwing out 31% of would-be basestealers while performing relatively well behind the plate.

In the end, it could come down to who is in charge of the front office. Current GM James Click has been more conservative, preferring smaller moves to any major blockbusters. Owner Jim Crane, however, is more inclined to target major names. Contreras would be a fit, but it comes down to how much the front office wants to spend.

Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox were one of the biggest disappointments in the majors this past season. And now, they are coming up on a crossroads.

The Red Sox have numerous key pieces set to hit free agency as J.D. Martinez, Tommy Pham, and Nathan Eovaldi, amongst others, are slated to hit the open market. Xander Bogaerts is likely to opt out of the final three years of his deal and enter free agency. And the minor leagues do not have the pieces needed to fill all those holes, especially behind the plate after they traded Christian Vazquez at the deadline.

In theory, the Red Sox have options. They could easily look to bring Vazquez back. They had also been heavily involved in talks with the A’s for Sean Murphy, who would provide a long term answer behind the plate. However, neither move may be the type of splash that would get the attention of Red Sox fans, something that ownership has been focused on in the past.

Willson Contreras could draw that type of attention. The Chicago Cubs catcher has a middle of the order bat and would provide the type of pop that they desperately need. He would not solve all of their problems, but he could be a longer term answer while the Red Sox look to return to the playoffs.

Next. Suzuki showed his potential this season. dark

The Boston Red Sox have a lot of holes to fill on the roster for next year. Willson Contreras would go a long way to their attempts to reload.

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