Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras Reportedly Draws Interest From Astros

The Cubs' catcher is under contract through the end of the 2022 season

Willson Contreras celebrates after hitting a home run during the 2018 All-Star Game in Washington
AP

With baseball’s Winter Meetings looming, most of the talk surrounding the Chicago Cubs is centered on whether they will part ways with one of their key players in the quest to reshape their roster.

One of the players that has been mentioned in plenty of rumors has been catcher Willson Contreras, and according to a new report, there is at least one high-profile team that could be interested in his services.

According to Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, the Houston Astros had expressed interest in acquiring Contreras, who is under team control through the end of the 2022 season.

Contreras rebounded nicely after a tough 2018 season, with 24 home runs and 64 RBI’s in 105 games for the Cubs last season. He also batted .272 and posted a career-best .888 OPS.

The Astros have a big need at the catcher position as Robinson Chirinos and Martin Maldonado hit free agency, but several high-profile catchers are already off the board, including Travis d’Arnaud and Yasmani Grandal.

That could lead the Astros to conversations with the Cubs about Contreras, as Chicago looks to get impact pitching prospects and another piece or two in a trade for the slugging catcher.

It’s unclear whether the Cubs will actually part ways with Contreras, but with teams meeting face-to-face in San Diego beginning on Sunday, talks could materialize very quickly as the offseason continues.

Contact Us