Zack Scott’s NY Mets-Cardinals trade package for Willson Contreras still feels right

One of the hottest New York Mets rumors to come out after the MLB Winter Meetings is the team’s interest in Willson Contreras. Don’t be fooled. This ex-catcher turned elite-level defensive first baseman (I know, I can’t believe it either!) is very much on the block and apparently willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Amazins.

The Mets have been linked to pretty much everyone on the trade block with Contreras feeling like a priority given their hole at first base. He is guaranteed a little under $40 million over the next two seasons with a team option for a third.

The Cardinals are selling off pieces like him, already sending Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox for a pair of young players. Will Contreras be the next to go? Let’s see if we can put together a trade package for him. Or maybe let’s just steal exactly what former Mets GM Zack Scott said back in early October.

A Willson Contreras for Mark Vientos trade still makes a lot of sense for the Mets and Cardinals

Here’s what the Mets get: a pricier first baseman with a more proven track record, better defense, and a short commitment. The Cardinals are getting a much younger player in Mark Vientos, but they can only hope he has any bit of the kind of production Contreras did last season.

The frustration with Vientos is that he has no real position. On the Cardinals, he’d get a chance to grow as a first baseman a little more alongside some of their other younger players who are still trying to figure things out. They can afford time. The Mets can’t.

Relieving the Cardinals of the money owed to Contreras is the crux of this trade. It’s simple and doesn’t sting the Mets too badly yet comes with the added risk of Vientos soaring over the St. Louis Arch. His spectacular 2024 season isn’t too distant in the past for us to write him off as a one-hit wonder. The biggest problem with keeping Vientos around right now is the Mets are trying to win and in a crowded infield already, they don’t have enough leeway to give him the at-bats he needs.

Someone other than Vientos wouldn’t make enough sense for the Mets. The Cardinals figure to want near MLB-ready players in the deal. Many others have their use. A guy like Luisangel Acuna doesn’t quite offer them enough. None of the top pitching prospects seem wise to give away in this sort of a trade.

The Mets also have reported interest in Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar which could quickly turn a Contreras trade into a blockbuster. Not the solution I’d personally be looking for in left field for a couple of reasons, it would still be a good grab by New York.