Central STL News

Willson Contreras has expressed his desire to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals, saying he does not feel he has "done enough for me to leave the city yet." Contreras discussed his future with John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract before the 2023 season that includes a no-trade clause. He reiterated his commitment to staying in St. Louis both before this season and during recent talks with club management as the team focuses on developing younger players.

“I’m going to stay here; I’m not going nowhere,” Contreras said prior to Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. “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.”

The Cardinals lost 5-0 on Tuesday, with pitcher Sonny Gray giving up three runs and eight hits while allowing his first home run to a left-handed batter in his last 13 starts. Gray pointed out that high temperatures—93 degrees at first pitch and over 100 degrees on the field—affected play for both teams.

“It’s tough because everything is just wet,” Gray said regarding the conditions. “Everyone’s dealing with it, obviously. But it’s tough to grip anything because everything is wet. It is a real challenge and something that I’ve tried to overcome in the past and throughout my career. It’s just tough.”

Gray also stated he wants to remain with the Cardinals, echoing comments made directly to Mozeliak during a recent meeting. July has been difficult for Gray statistically; last year he had an ERA of 6.75 in four starts for July 2024, while this July he posted an ERA of 7.81 over six starts.

“Overall, when you look at his career -- especially the last few years -- July hasn’t treated him well, but he bounces back and does a really nice job,” manager Oliver Marmol said about Gray's performance expectations moving forward.

During Tuesday's game, Contreras avoided injury after colliding near first base while trying to beat out Marlins runner Xavier Edwards on a close play later overturned by replay review. Despite cutting his knee during the play, Contreras remained in the game.

Earlier in the game, Contreras was thrown out attempting to stretch a single into a double—a display of aggressive baserunning typical of his style that sometimes leads to mixed results for St. Louis.

“He’s passionate about being in St. Louis and being a part of what we’re doing,” Marmol said about Contreras’ role on the team. “He likes what’s going on and where we’re headed and wants to make sure he can continue to be himself and bring value to this whole thing, which I’m super appreciative of. I like having him around and I love that guy.”

Contreras continues encouraging teammates not to focus on possible trades ahead of Thursday's deadline even as players such as Ryan Helsley, Nolan Arenado, or Steven Matz could potentially be moved from St. Louis.

“We’ll see what’s going to happen until the last day, but I’m not thinking about any of that,” Contreras added; he currently shares the team lead in home runs with Alec Burleson at 14.