Report: Cards, C Willson Contreras reach 5-year, $87.5M deal

Catcher Willson Contreras agreed to a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, ESPN reported Wednesday. The Athletic initially reported the sides were "closing in" on a deal, while MLB Network noted that talks centered on a five-year contract. Contreras will succeed longtime catcher Yadier Molina behind the plate for the Cardinals. Molina, a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, retired after this past season. Contreras, 30, declined the one-year qualifying offer of $19.65 million from the Chicago Cubs in October, making him a free agent. He reached the All-Star Game for the third time last season while batting .243 with 22 homers and 55 RBIs. Contreras also was a key player on the Cubs' World Series-winning club in 2016 as he hit .282 in his first major league season. Contreras has topped 20 homers four times in his seven big league seasons. He has a .256 average with 117 homers and 365 RBIs in 734 career games. --Field Level Media