Willson Contreras to Get Qualifying Contract Offer From Cubs, GM Jed Hoyer Says

The Chicago Cubs plan on offering catcher Willson Contreras a qualifying offer this offseason.

"We'll continue that dialogue," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said while confirming as much, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. "We've talked to Willson, we've talked to his representative, so I don't want to make any assumptions there."

Tim Stebbins of NBC Chicago noted the qualifying offer is for one year and approximately $19 million. What's more, the Cubs will receive draft pick compensation should Contreras turn it down.

It seemed like this past season was Contreras' final one with the Cubs a number of times.

There was surprise when he wasn't traded at the deadline considering Chicago was not a contender and could have landed prospects for the veteran backstop. Then there were multiple times when Contreras was visibly emotional in the dugout at Wrigley Field as it seemed like his tenure with the only Major League Baseball team he's known was drawing to a close.

"This is a spot that I wanted to be since I was a kid, and I did everything I could to reach free agency," Contreras recently said, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. "So it makes me proud.

"At the same time it makes me a little nostalgic to leave my team. But everything happens for a reason, and I'm ready for whatever comes next."

If Contreras does turn down the offer and hits free agency, it would be impossible to call his time with the Cubs anything but a success. His seven years with the team included three All-Star appearances and a World Series crown, which happened when he was a rookie and broke a 108-year championship drought.

He hit a home run in his first MLB at-bat during that 2016 campaign and was a key piece in the team's title run.

The 30-year-old slashed .243/.349/.466 with 22 home runs and 55 RBI this season. While the majority of his prime may be in the rearview mirror at this point, he is still a productive offensive catcher who figures to generate plenty of interest this offseason.