But the St. Louis Cardinals must determine in 2025 who Ivan Herrera can be — and will be — in 2026 and beyond.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Willson Contreras showed up heavier than normal in hopes of producing more power in 2025.

Sidelined multiple games when J.D. Martinez fractured his left forearm on a swing and when he suffered a fractured right finger when hit by a pitch thrown by Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez, Contreras played 84 games in 2024 and hit 15 home runs.

This position change for Contreras comes after the 32-year-old played only 84 games last season due to multiple injuries. The hope from here is that this change to first base will allow him to stay healthier and make a more significant impact at the plate as the Cardinals look to bounce back in 2025.

If the team couldn't move Nolan Arenado, they should have at least dealt closer Ryan Helsley and right-hander Erick Fedde.

Noticeably larger through the chest and arms thanks to all the extra time he’s spent in the weight room as of late, Willson Contreras’ confidence was very much on display during a recent FaceTime call with his brother,

That’s the point of competition. Making it extremely hard on the organization to make the decision,” manager says.

Asked if he had a home run total in mind for his inaugural season out of shin pads, Contreras smirked and relayed a conversation he recently had with his brother, William, the catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.