3 St. Louis Cardinals on the chopping block thanks to Oli Marmol's comments

Cardinals on the chopping block: Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras just signed a long-term contract with the Cardinals last offseason, so it seems unlikely that he would be dealt away this winter. However, that doesn't mean Marmol trusts him. A midseason flip-flop of Contreras at the catcher position made it clear that there are some trust issues in the post-Yadier Molina era.

Contreras is a decent defensive catcher, but he can't work with a pitching staff like Molina could. Heck, few can. Contreras has plenty of work to do in that department. However, he's vastly superior to Molina with a bat in his hands, which is where the right-handed hitter makes up for any defensive breakdowns.

Contreras had two roles on this team in 2023 -- catcher and designated hitter. That was the plan developed by Marmol and the front office midseason when they realized that Marmol as backstop alone wasn't good enough for them, as FanSided's Josh Wilson explains:

"Mozeliak also cast the first ounce of blame we’ve really seen directly put on Contreras from anyone in the organization. He said that Yadier Molina, the team’s long-time catcher, developed many nuanced relationships with pitchers over the years and that the staff has appeared uncomfortable this season, with Contreras being the most obvious variable to single out."

That blame game wasn't helpful, but it seems to be an area Marmol and Mozeliak are aligned in. Contreras better watch his back.