Cardinals Rumors: Willson Contreras, Jack Flaherty, trade talk

Jack Flaherty (22) reacts after getting a strikeout with he bases loaded to end the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jack Flaherty (22) reacts after getting a strikeout with he bases loaded to end the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Willson Contreras, Cardinals, MLB Rumors
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 08: Willson Contreras #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after hitting a RBI double against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on May 08, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Cardinals notebook: Willson Contreras goes from hero to villain in Chicago

Contreras may have gone 0-for-3 on Tuesday night, but he did plenty on Monday night to prove to Chicago fans that his time with the Cubs is in the rearview mirror.

An RBI double from Contreras proved to be the difference-maker in Monday’s 3-1 victory that opened the series in Chicago. It was not only the same day that Contreras was welcomed back to Wrigley, where he spent his first seven MLB seasons, with a video tribute, but he also heard his first boos from the north side as a member of the Cardinals.

As Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in this article, it didn’t take long for Contreras to take the friendly out of confines when it comes to Wrigley Field.

Contreras even played into the newfound heel character, egging on the Wrigley crowd each time he was on base. It’s part of what has become a very interesting tradition when a player is traded between the Cubs and Cardinals, and there have been some good ones to play for both teams in the past. As Jerry Seinfeld once joked, fans cheer for laundry and, with Contreras wearing different colors, the crowd in Chicago is ready to move on from the feelings for Contreras now that he has those Cardinals on his chest.