Braves news: William Contreras has heartbreaking reaction to trade

Former Atlanta Braves catcher William Contreras was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a three-team trade with the Oakland Athletics. He wasn’t happy about it.

This isn’t to suggest that William Contreras won’t eventually adjust to the idea of being a Milwaukee Brewer. For now, though, it’s all a little shocking.

Just a few months ago, Contreras finished up his first All-Star season in Atlanta in the NLCS against the Phillies. The Braves suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat against their division rival.

Still, Contreras was just 24 years old. He had his entire career ahead of him in what he expected to be Atlanta, the team which raised him up through the ranks. Evidently, Alex Anthopoulos felt differently.

The Braves traded for catcher Sean Murphy on Monday afternoon, who was arguably the most coveted player on the trade market. It was costly. So costly, in fact, that AA had to get Milwaukee involved, forcing them to send Contreras to the Brewers.

William Contreras heartbroken about trade from Braves to Brewers

William Contreras is the brother of Willson. The younger Contreras slashed .260/.338/.471 for a wRC+ of 121 in 2022, along with 28 home runs. He’s plenty capable at the plate, but still needs to develop as a strong defensive catcher. This, surely, is what Milwaukee will work on him with this offseason — or they are content with starting him at the DH spot or elsewhere.

Contreras made his thoughts on the trade known on Monday via social media, and he didn’t seem happy.

https://twitter.com/Wcontreras42/status/1602441641243148288

For those who will remember, this is similar to Christian Pache’s reaction last year when he was dealt to Oakland. In this case, Contreras was sent to an NL Central contender, and will play in the same division as his brother, so it’s not all bad.

At the same time, familiarity brings value. Contreras knew what to expect with the Braves. Milwaukee represents a new challenge, which may be good for him in the long run.