When the St. Louis Cardinals signed All-Star catcher Willson Contreras in the off-season, they probably envisioned a better start to the relationship. But the Cardinals have sputtered to a National League-worst 10-23 record, and Contreras hasn’t helped matters himself. So the Cards made a shocking move on Saturday morning.
The Cardinals will move Contreras away from the catcher position. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that St. Louis intends to play him instead in the outfield and as a designated hitter for a few weeks. The switch has the corresponding maneuver to call up minor-league catcher Tres Barrera.
“Willson Contreras, who the Cardinals signed to a five-year, $87.5 million deal over the offseason, will not catch over the next couple of weeks,” Woo wrote. Woo reported that Andrew Knizner will assume the role of primary catcher.
Contreras has played well offensively, slashing .280/.361/.421 in the team’s first 33 games. But behind the plate, the Cardinals’ prized free agent signing has struggled to develop a strong rapport with the pitching staff.
The Cardinals seem to agree, as they made a significant move on Saturday to try and fix the issue. St. Louis’ starters’ ERA of 5.39 ranks 7th-worst in MLB and third-worst in the NL. While it’s not entirely fair to blame all of that on Willson Contreras, a catcher does play a role in how a game is effectively pitched.
