Cards hold court with Contreras ahead of Wrigley return
CHICAGO — A day after refusing to “continue down the road we were going down … and potentially ending up in a worse place, long term” with Willson Contreras as their catcher, the Cardinals labored to try to rebuild their relationship and belief with the three-time All-Star, who returned on Monday to the place he’s had probably the most skilled success.
Manager Oliver Marmol organized pre- and postgame conferences on Sunday the place veteran gamers resembling Adam Wainwright and Jack Flaherty might remind the 30-year-old Contreras that he’s nonetheless an enormous a part of their future — each as a heart-of-the-order hitter and because the crew’s major catcher within the not-so-distant future. Still, the actual fact stays that the Cardinals had been involved sufficient about Contreras’ lack of reference to the struggling pitching workers that they determined to shift him away from catching for an open-ended period of time.
“You had a choice to continue down the road we were going down, and I honestly feel like we could have potentially ended up in a worse situation — long term — than what we’re experiencing today,” Marmol stated previous to the Cardinals dealing with the Cubs on Monday at Wrigley Field. “This is simply noise; this goes away.
“This looks reactive … but I actually think it’s proactive,” Marmol added.
Over the weekend, the Cardinals introduced that Contreras — the free-agent catcher they focused to exchange Yadier Molina and ultimately rewarded with an $87.5 million contract to lure him away from the rival Cubs — could be taking part in completely at DH in the intervening time whereas reserve Andrew Knizner handles the catching duties. Hoping to point out Contreras that he isn’t guilty for an 11-24 begin that already has the Cardinals as far again from first within the division as they’ve been because the finish of the 1997 season, veteran members of the squad rallied across the 30-year-old catcher/DH.
“What we did was we sat down yesterday and just poured into him,” stated Wainwright, who returned on Saturday after lacking 5 weeks with a groin pressure. “We love this guy. We’re glad he’s here and we want him to be our guy. I think he took it well. Honestly, I don’t know if anyone’s ever told him that. But he’s appreciated, we love him and we’re glad he’s here.”
The timing of the place change was, at finest, awkward with Contreras returning to Chicago on Monday to face the crew he starred with for seven seasons. In addition to being a three-time All-Star throughout his time in Chicago, he helped the Cubs win the World Series in 2016.
Contreras, who entered the sequence hitting .265 with two homers, 9 doubles and 14 RBIs, was within the Cardinals’ lineup on Monday because the DH. Admittedly, he was nervous about how he may be greeted by Cubs followers now that he’s on the opposite aspect of the rivalry.
“There’s a good chance [that he will be booed], but hopefully it will be 50/50 — 50 percent will cheer me, and 50 percent will boo me, which is acceptable,” Contreras stated. “I’m not going to ever be mad with the fanbase in Chicago because I will always be thankful to them. They always supported me. But there’s a chance, yes, [that he will be booed].”
In addition to Wainwright, Marmol and others with the Cardinals displaying their assist in latest days, Contreras stated he was flattered to have obtained an outpouring of constructive messages from Cardinals followers by way of social media.
“The support that I’ve gotten from them since Day One has been really special,” he stated. “Today, I’ve been getting [direct messages] and messages that I never thought I’d get. Those are really special to me, and I’m really thankful to those fans and to be playing in front of one of the best fan bases in baseball.”
While refusing to enter specifics concerning the areas Contreras wants to enhance upon earlier than returning to common catching duties, Marmol did say the addition of the pitch timer and pitchers resembling Miles Mikolas, Giovanny Gallegos and Wainwright lacking time in Spring Training due to the World Baseball Classic have been elements in making Contreras’ transition with the Cardinals harder. However, he feels the group and catcher got here nearer collectively following Sunday’s sequence of conferences.
“The conversations that were taking place behind closed doors with a meaningful group is going to push this thing along,” Marmol stated. “It couldn’t have been scripted any better than what took place yesterday.”
David Ross, Contreras’ supervisor with the Cubs and a former MLB catcher with seven franchises, stated the Cardinals had been sure to undergo rising pains — no matter who their new catcher was — after having a nine-time Gold Glover resembling Molina man the place for 19 seasons.
“Yadi did some special things and you’re not going to replace that person,” Ross stated. “Going about things differently sometimes doesn’t go smoothly. That happens with new managers, new pitchers and with new coaching staff changes. It takes an adjustment period, and I think that goes with everything.”
