Cardinals' Willson Contreras Under Fire After Explosive Ejection

Willson Contreras blew up on Monday night...

Aug 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Willson Contreras (40) is held back by manager Oliver Marmol (37) after he was ejected by umpire Derek Thomas (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Willson Contreras is under heavy fire right now, with some of the backlash coming from Cardinals fans and media.

Contreras was recently ejected following a correct strike three call in Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rather than arguing his ejection and peacefully leaving, the veteran slugger charged the umpire, threw his bat, and threw a bucket of Hi-Chew onto the field. His ejection was a spectacle, and it was anything but peaceful and respectful.

J.T. Buchheit of Redbird Rants recently bashed Contreras for this ejection and his fiery reaction to it.

Cardinals writer bashes Willson Contreras after controversial ejection

Aug 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; member of the St. Louis Cardinals pick up Hi-Chews after designated hitter Willson Contreras (40) threw them on the field when he was ejected by umpire Derek Thomas (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"During his tenure in St. Louis, Contreras hasn't been afraid to take the Cardinals to task when needed: He's spoken out against the front office and called for support from his teammates after he was hit by several pitches," Buchheit wrote. "It's easy to love Contreras, given his fiery passion for the game and for his team, but this was a bridge too far for him. The fact that he chucked a bat behind him that struck hitting coach Brant Brown was unacceptable, and fans shouldn't be surprised if Contreras earns a multiple-game suspension.

"If Contreras becomes a problem in the dugout, the Cardinals may become desperate to offload his contract in any way possible. However, Contreras' no-trade clause will make that challenging. There's no excuse for Contreras' actions. As a leader in the clubhouse, he is supposed to be a role model for the younger players, and this did not do him any favors on that front. With the Cardinals seemingly going nowhere fast in 2025, a few league-imposed games on the pine may be what he needs to clear his head."

With Contreras considered a leader in the Cardinals clubhouse, there's no excuse to act in the way he did following the ejection, especially because he was wrong in the first place.

The longer that the Cardinals allow one of their leaders to act this way, the longer the team will face the consequences. There are a lot of issues that come back to the culture surrounding a team. The Cardinals can't afford to have poor team culture and leadership.

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