Willson Contreras is a Cardinal, and the Cubs let it happen

Wilson Contreras

Wilson Contreras
photograph: Getty photographs

The St. Louis Cardinals found their substitute for now-retired catcher Yadier Molina, agreeing to phrases with Willson Contreras on a 5-12 months, $87 million deal. After refusing to maneuver Contreras on the commerce deadline, or pay him, the final remaining place participant from the Chicago Cubs World sequence staff will now don the birds on bats and Cardinal purple.

The transfer is an monumental get for the Cardinals, who have been content material with Molina’s offense-behind-the-plate tradeoff, regardless of the staff’s bats offering three runs in two postseason video games — each losses to Philadelphia. Albert Pujols’ swan tune actually is what gained them the NL Central, they typically’ll should interchange his manufacturing, as effectively.

contemplating Contreras’ best 12 months was barely larger than Pujols’ ultimate advertising campaign, one other bat — ideally a DH — would go a good distance. The farm system continues to place guys inside the lineup who appear to be potential all-stars, solely to hit nothing however a wall as quickly as opposing pitching staffs get a scouting report.

That’s one other challenge on this. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt have been far and away the staff’s best place gamers since arriving in St. Louis, and it continues the progress of the farm system failing to develop fixed supporting gamers. Save for the pandemic season, some combination of Arenado, Goldschmidt, or Marcel Ozuna have been prime two on the staff in RBI.

The failures of Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson, Paul DeJong, and others don’t give St. Louis followers rather masses of hope for Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman ever reaching their potential.

Poor progress is additionally extra likely to be why hitting coach Jeff Albert stepped down after the season. effectively, that and Harrison Bader smacking a bajillion postseason dwelling runs after being traded to the Yankees, and Kolten Wong discovering some semblance of consistency in Milwaukee.

Contreras is a confirmed contributor who will come proper into a clubhouse with safe management on the very best, and should be succesful to proceed his type regardless of hitting coach, as was the case for Arenado or Goldschmidt.

the actuality that he comes over from the Cardinals’ most hated rival is simply an added bonus. In ninety five profession video games in opposition to St. Louis, Contreras slashed .249/.368/.441, with seventy 4 hits, 15 of them homers, and forty seven RBI. these numbers aren’t thoughts blowing, however every massive dwelling run looks like 5 in opposition to a loathsome rival.

I’d say it makes up for Jason Heyward leaping ship from St. Louis to Chicago in 2016, however Jason Heyward and his contract made up for Jason Heyward leaping ship. For the Cubs, $87 million doesn’t appear to be a lot, seeing as they solely paid $sixty eight million for Jameson Taillon, a backend starting pitcher in an already crowded rotation.

Chicago did land Cody Bellinger on a one-12 months, free-demo deal, although, and is rumored to be medium-sized sport looking with sights set on Carlos Correa or Dansby Swanson. who’s aware of how the Contreras saga would’ve fallen if the Cubs moved him on the deadline, as rumor had it, however inaction and tight pockets from the entrance office led to this regrettable end result. They didn’t even appease the prospect perverts by transferring him for scraps.

Contreras might’ve nonetheless ended up inside the shadow of the Arch by the use of one other membership, and Chicago might’ve prevented culpability, but right here we’re. 



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