The St. Louis Cardinals are already wavering on a big decision they announced just a day ago on Willson Contreras’s role.
On Saturday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals made a huge change to the lineup and an announcement to go with it. Willson Contreras, for the second game in a row, would not start at catcher despite the Cardinals being on short rest coming off a night game into a matinee.
It was explained shortly after that Contreras would stay in the lineup as a DH and an outfielder, but would be done as a catcher for the time being. St. Louis also called up a catcher to give Andrew Knizner his own backup.
Contreras interjected that the pitching woes had less to do with him and more to do with pitching execution, but the truth remains that he has been poor behind the plate, especially as a pitch framer.
It was a tough decision to make, and one that would have consequences. As several pointed out, moving Contreras’s multi-year deal and $87.5 million contract to DH and the outfield rather than the position he was signed for makes the team more inflexible, blocking the ability to call-up other prospects or make moves on the fringe of the roster.
The Cardinals, already, may have realized that too, and are walking things back.
Cardinals are already walking the Willson Contreras position change back
Just a day after the Cardinals announced Willson Contreras would move to the outfield, manager Oli Marmol hinted that his path on the defensive side of innings should be to get back into his catcher gear, not be out in the field.
When asked what Willson Contreras needed to do to potentially be used in the outfield -- a spot he played some with the Cubs -- #STLCards manager Oli Marmol said, "I think the question should be what does Contreras need to do to get behind the plate, not playing the outfield?"
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 7, 2023
Wait, what? Marmol just announced yesterday that Contreras would see the field. Are they really just pretending yesterday didn’t happen?
Contreras is still in the lineup on Sunday but as a designated hitter. Slotting him into the outfield appears to have been blowing some smoke. But at this point, it’s hard not to feel like even the Cardinals don’t know what decisions they’re making.