3 St. Louis Cardinals to blame for slow start to season
By Drew Koch
2. Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras deserves some blame for St. Louis’ slow start
There were bound to be some problems for the St. Louis Cardinals after waving goodbye to longtime catcher Yadier Molina. The heart and soul of the Cards for nearly two decades, the 2022 season was Molina’s last.
Of course, St. Louis made a splash in the offseason by signing former Chicago Cubs backstop Willson Contreras to a massive contract. If the Cards were going to replace Molina, they were going to go big.
Well right now, it looks like a big swing and miss; which is exactly what Contreras is doing at the dish. The Cards biggest free agent acquisition has been a virtual no-show in the batters’ box. Contreras is 7-for-31 (.226) and has six strikeouts to just one free pass.
Only one of Contreras’ seven base knocks has gone for extra bases. Contreras’ OPS is sitting at a paltry .568. Furthermore, it’s not as if the Cardinals signed Contreras for his defense behind the plate. Contreras has always been known as a below-average defender. He only caught 72 games behind the plate for the Cubbies last season.
With Andrew Knizner hitting just .100, it’s not as if St. Louis has a backup plan. If the Cards are looking to move up in the standings, Willson Contreras has got to start producing.