Willson Contreras, who the Cardinals signed to a five-year, $87.5 million deal during the offseason, will not catch for St. Louis in the next few weeks. Here’s what you need to know:
- Andrew Knizner will handle primary catching duties while Contreras will serve as designated hitter and outfielder.
- The team made a number of roster moves Saturday, including the call-up of Triple-A Memphis catcher Tres Barrera.
- St. Louis also activated longtime starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, who is making the last season debut of his career against the Tigers.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does Barrera’s appointment mean for Contreras?
When the Cardinals signed Contreras this offseason, they did so under the pretense that he would be their main catcher. However, with the Cardinals faltering and the pitching team struggling, manager Oli Marmol and the front office decided the rotation could benefit from some familiarity. Knizner will now catch the majority of starts, with Barrera serving as the reserve catcher.
The Cardinals want to keep Contreras in the daily lineup as he has one of the best OPS grades on the team (.782). To accomplish this, St. Louis will field Contreras as the team’s designated batsman. The Cardinals will also play Contreras in the outfield. He has played a total of 35 career outfield games over his seven-year career, including 32 in left field.
“We talked a lot about it,” Marmol said. “It allows for some familiarity behind the plate with our boys, which I think will be helpful, especially in the state we’re in.
“There are certain things and ways of working that Willson is still embracing and learning. It’s a difficult thing coming from another organization and learning all that. We have an internal strategy to help with this, which will move in that direction over the next few weeks.”
One of the reasons Contreras decided to sign with St. Louis was because he wanted to be a full-time catcher. The Cardinals also identified this as a critical feature when looking for one in the offseason. Now it appears that St. Louis has changed course.
“It’s tough, but I’m an employee,” said Contreras. “I know my primary position is catching, but if they want me to do more DH, there’s nothing I can do about it except by being the best hitter I can be.”
“One thing I want to make very clear is that we don’t lose ball games because of Willson Contreras,” Marmol added. “This is a guy who has done an incredible amount of work to become more comfortable with you, our pitchers and also with how we do things. He’s going to be a decent amount of DH going forward and then we’ll have a strategy for what that looks like beyond that. — Woo
How will the Cardinals equalize Contreras’ playing time?
The Cardinals already have a crowded outfield. Tyler O’Neill ended up with a left lower back strain in Friday’s 15-day IL, but St. Louis has yet to put up with consistent game time for Dylan Carlson, Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson and Juan Yepez. The blockade in the outfield already played a role in top prospect Jordan Walker’s option to Triple A. Moving Contreras to a corner point will only complicate matters further.
Contreras, who sees significant replays as the designated hitter, also complicates things for Nolan Gorman, who leads the Cardinals with seven home runs this season. Gorman could switch to second base during Contrera’s DHs, but that would leave a spot in the infield for Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan and Paul DeJong.
At a National League-worst 10-23, the Cardinals are unable to remain stagnant. But from the short-term perspective, moving Contreras from behind the plate only clouds playing time for the rest of the squad. — Woo
backstory
Barrera, 28, will make his debut with the Cardinals after signing with the team this offseason. In 12 games with Memphis this year, he’s hit .255 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. The roster changes come as the Cardinals try to fix their preseason shortcomings. The team goes into Saturday 10-23, with the most losses in the National League.
Wainwright, who opened the IL season after suffering a groin strain in March, has made 457 career appearances for the Cardinals since his debut with the team in 2005. His 195 wins are the third most in franchise history and his 2,147 strikeouts are the second most. Wainwright announced in October, when he signed a one-year extension, that 2023 would be his final season.
required reading
(Photo: Jim Rassol / USA Today)