3 years agoThe Chicago Cubs and catcher Willson Contreras could work on a contract extension before Opening Day. The 29-year-old, who made $6.65 million in 2021, is in his final year of arbitration eligibility and club control. Chicago failed to sign long-term extensions in the past for cornerstone players such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said he "will almost certainly shop" the catcher if a deal cannot be reached. Contreras slashed .237/.340/.438 with 21 home runs, 57 RBI, 61 runs scored, and four stolen bases over 483 plate appearances in 2021. The veteran backstop is the fourth-ranked catcher on the latest Rotoballer rankings and will remain a top-5 option regardless of whether he's with the Cubs or elsewhere.--Brad Camara - RotoBaller
Source: Gordon Wittenmeyer of NBC Sports