Cardinals Star Undergoing Surprising Position Change Amid Total Dysfunction
The St. Louis Cardinals are moving one of their star players amid a massive shakeup.
The Cardinals are starting to think outside the box after a 10-24 start but all changes are not created equal and their newest adjustment could be costly. That said, how much worse could it get?
"The Cardinals aren’t just considering using Willson Contreras in the outfield. They will be," The Athletic's Katie Woo tweeted Sunday. "Contreras won’t catch much over the next couple of weeks. He’ll be used primarily as a designated hitter and corner outfielder."
Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal to replace Yadier Molina as the Cardinals' new starting catcher over the winter. With 34 games under his belt, the front office and management decided to make a shift.
St. Louis called up catcher Tres Barrera to aid the transition with fellow backstop Andrew Knizner already on the roster.
Contreras has 35 big-league appearances in the outfield and likely will spend most of his time either in left field or as the designated hitter -- at least for the time being.
St. Louis has not publically laid out the long-term plan for this move but it could get dicey in the near future.
The Cardinals already have somewhat of a logjam in the outfield with Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Dylan Carlson and utility man Juan Yepez on the active roster. They also have Tyler O'Neill on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain and top prospect Jordan Walker waiting in the wings.
Contreras would add some much-needed offense to left field but he would be viewed as less valuable overall. The big appeal for the 30-year-old is how well he can hit for a catcher. He's still an above-average slugger but it's not as hard to find his offensive production at other positions.
Ideally, this move will be short-term and a blip on the radar as St. Louis attempts to claw back into contention.
If the move is anything more than consider me lost.
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