Willson Contreras: Cardinals Better Organization Than Cubs
It’s safe to say Willson Contreras has no regrets about his choice to sign with the Cardinals this offseason. Contreras won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016. After being with the Cardinals for about five minutes, he’s ready to trash the Cubs on his way out the door.
The new Cardinals catcher says St. Louis is simply a way better organization.
“For me, I like this better. It’s a better organization. It’s the old school way, which I love,” Contreras said to Bally Sports Midwest when asked to compare the two organizations he’s been a part of.
“Ever since I got here it’s been everything just one way. The Cardinal way,” Contreras said to Bally Sports Midwest.
This one feels like a double-edged sword. In terms of rivalry purposes, this is great. More fuel to the fire is a good thing for creating fan engagement. Cub fans now hate him and Cardinal fans are ready to go to war for their new high priced acquisition. Baseball needs more storylines like this, not less. The second best rivalry in baseball just got a lot more exciting.
On the other hand, it’s hard to really take this seriously when Contreras has been there for two sips of a cup of coffee. Replacing Yadier Molina is no easy task, especially defensively. Saying things like this opens up the microscope on you. If Contreras fails to live up to that $87.5 million price tag, the fans will turn on him regardless of what team he’s playing for.
Then again, Contreras has a right to talk trash. The Cubs are going with a tandem of Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart in 2023. A far cry from the offensive production Contreras will likely provide with the Cardinals. In 2022, Contreras was a 3.9 WAR player with an OPS+ of 128.
