Chicago Cubs: Extending Willson Contreras must be a priority

All eyes in the Chicago Cubs front office are focused on the organization’s future with the team’s new prospects slotting in for a chance at becoming part of the next great core. Unfortunately, the catching side of things is looking a bit grim. With no immediate standout catching prospects behind Miguel Amaya, his development was of the utmost importance in determining what the Cubs could do at backstop.

While he’s certainly had plenty of success at the minor league level, another recent injury setback with his forearm (subscription required) means more missed development time. Right after a lost season due to the pandemic. The future is cloudier than ever for Amaya in terms of reaching the major league team. If they have any hope of coming out of this retool early, the Cubs need to turn to Willson Contreras with a check to stay long-term rather than praying for an Amaya breakout.

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The Chicago Cubs need to lock up their irreplaceable asset Willson Contreras

Of the core four, there’s a fair argument that Contreras is the hardest to replace adequately. The one caveat was if Amaya really broke out and made a push for the majors, but that seems increasingly unlikely to happen any time soon. Looking forward to free agency, the next two years feature a string of solid catchers like Omar Narvaez and Travis d’Arnaud, but none that quite meet the lofty standards Contreras has set in Chicago.

While it may feel like a down year, Contreras has still been a 3.4 bWAR player with a 107 OPS+ all while leading National League catchers in home runs. Statcast numbers also show that Contreras has been hitting the ball harder than ever, averaging the highest exit velocity of his career at 91.6 off the bat. He also ranks seventh in all of baseball in defensive WAR. Simply put, he has little left to prove with his play.

The Amaya injury should act as additional pressure to get this deal done. There’s a good degree of certainty in relying on the team’s star catcher to keep doing his thing while also providing leadership and a source of stability to a young team around him. Moreover, it sure sounds like he enjoys guiding the young guys and really wants to help lead them to the promised land again one day.

As great as it will be to see Amaya reach Chicago, the Cubs are better off right now with what they know and can trust. Contreras is as solid a backstop and leader they can possibly have within a reasonable time frame. They can’t afford to let their most irreplaceable star slip through the cracks if they have any hope of making this rebuild quick.