The St. Louis Cardinals are one team that has drawn a lot of headlines with the number of players who have been reported to be up for trade.
St. Louis has several key players on expiring contracts, including Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz. All three have been mentioned in trade discussions.
The Cardinals have also been exploring possible deals for Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras despite the two All-Stars carrying a no-trade clause in their deals.
Trade talks for Arenado are still taking place, but Contreras was able to shoot down any rumors involving his name in an interview earlier this week.
"I’m going to stay here; I’m not going nowhere," Contreras said. "I’m good here. I already talked to [Mozeliak] earlier this week, and everything is still the same. It’s a business, and [Mozeliak] doesn’t seem like he wants to trade me. He said 'no' and I said 'no,' so we’re good," MLB.com's John Denton reported on Tuesday.
Contreras, 33, is under contract with the Cardinals through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028. He is set to earn $18 million annually, with the option year valued at $17.5 million.
The three-time All-Star and World Series champion in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs is having another consistent year as one of the best catchers in the league.
He's only missed six games this year after an injury-riddled 2024 season, where he suffered a fractured forearm and a fractured finger at different times.
In 103 games this season, Contreras has a .259 batting average, .346 on-base percentage, .444 slugging percentage, and .790 OPS while hitting 14 home runs and 61 RBI.