The St. Louis Cardinals are struggling badly this season, and they find themselves in last place in the National League Central with a 13-25 record. As a result of the team's stumbling start and overall poor play, manager Oli Marmol has made key moves. One of those has been removing Willson Contreras from his position as catcher and making him a combination designated hitter/outfielder.
#STLCards manager Oli Marmol on what he is seeing from Willson Contreras: “We’re making progress every day and we’re sticking to our plan of getting him to to the point where we get them back (behind the plate as a catcher).”
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 12, 2023
The biggest issue for Contreras is that he was signed as a free agent following the 2022 season to step in behind the plate and replace the retired Yadier Molina. Even though the Cardinals were very familiar with Contreras because he was a long-time member of the rival Chicago Cubs, they didn't realize that his issues behind the plate would cause problems for the team.
One of the biggest issues is the way Contreras handles the pitching staff and his positioning behind the plate. These were two areas that Molina not only excelled at but also ranked among the best catchers that have ever performed defensively. Contreras has suffered badly in the comparison.
While moving Contreras from behind the plate was shocking when it was announced, the Cardinals would like to get the former Cub behind the plate once again. To that end, the Cardinals are working with Contreras on his defensive technique on a regular basis.
No specifics were offered on when that is likely to happen, but the Cardinals did sign Willson Contreras to a 5-year, $87.5 million contract and it's clear they are not going to abandon their plan of making him the No. 1 catcher on a regular basis.
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