Inside The Cubs

Cardinals Reveal Absurd Reason Why Willson Contreras Was Pulled From Catching Duties

A new report gives the actual reason why the St. Louis Cardinals pulled Willson Contreras from his catching duties.

Kade Kistner

Cardinals Reveal Absurd Reason Why Willson Contreras Was Pulled From Catching Duties
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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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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