Astros Reportedly Interested in Trading for Cubs Catcher Willson Contreras

The Chicago Cubs are desperate to shake up the roster in the first season of David Ross' managerial tenure, and that could mean sending All-Star catcher Willson Contreras out of town.

Contreras' name has frequently popped up in the rumor mill of late, and the defending American league champion Houston Astros have reportedly inquired about him as a potential upgrade over Robinson Chirinos behind the plate.

Contreras made his second consecutive All-Star team in 2019, hitting 24 home runs and hitting .272 despite playing in just 105 games due to injury.

Victor Caratini has proven to be a more than serviceable catcher, but the Cubs deciding to part with Contreras to make Caratini the main man behind the plate feels odd at first glance. The only way this trade makes sense for Chicago is if Houston is willing to give up some of their top young arms in the minor league, perhaps an MLB-ready starter.

Now more than ever, a quality catcher is an invaluable asset on a competing club. Trading Contreras would certainly be out of the box, but it couldn't be totally unreasonable provided Chicago can get a young pitcher or two in return.