Cardinals Reveal Absurd Reason Why Willson Contreras Was Pulled From Catching Duties
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It's been an interesting saga for catcher Willson Contreras since he left the Chicago Cubs in free agency for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Following a five-year, $87.5 million, Contreras was supposed to replace Yadier Molina and become the next great catcher in the Cardinals franchise.
But now, it's hard to even label him as a "catcher" after he was unceremoniously pulled from the bulk of his duties and relegated to the designated hitter slot.
It's a tough look for St. Louis who placed all their chips on Contreras, but a USA Today report shares the actual reason Contreras is no longer behind the plate: the pitchers.
"The starting pitchers told management they simply no longer wanted to pitch to him, at least not this season, after getting off to their dreadful start, producing an ugly 5.40 ERA," wrote Bob Nighthengale.
"The Cardinals, off to their worst start in 50 years at 10-24, have since won five of six games after demoting Contreras, although the starting rotation has actually gotten worse, yielding a 5.47 ERA, with no starter lasting past five innings"
It's a tough indictment, but Contreras has never been a stellar pilar behind the plate. Something that the Cubs front office and their fans came to know over the course of his tenure.
It's just another setback in what has become one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory for the Cardinals. The expectations were high coming into the 2023 MLB season and now they are the ones lagging in the National League Central.
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