Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Wednesday that Contreras is likely to bat fifth this season, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Marmol added that Paul Goldschmidt will likely hit third, with Nolan Arenado handling cleanup duties. Brendan Donovan figures to serve as the primary leadoff man in most pitching matchups and Tyler O'Neill could open as the No. 2 hitter. Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman might regularly factor into that top-of-the-order mix as well. Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with St. Louis in December and has posted a .367 batting average and .891 OPS through 33 plate appearances this spring in Grapefruit League play.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Settling in with new team
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Contreras is hitting .250 with one double, one RBI and six strikeouts over six Grapefruit League games.
Contreras stayed in camp rather than going to the World Baseball Classic to get to know the pitchers on his new team. The catcher signed a five-year deal in December to become the Cardinals' new No. 1 backstop after the retirement of Yadier Molina. Contreras won't enjoy the friendly confines of Wrigley Field as often as he used to, but he's a four-time 20-homer hitter and should continue to return solid numbers at a position where those are scarce.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Officially lands in St. Louis
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Contreras' signing of a five-year, $87.5 million contract with a $17.5 million club option for 2028 was formally announced by the Cardinals on Friday.
The deal was first reported Wednesday. Contreras has big shoes to fill in replacing future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina, whose 19-year reign as the Cards' catcher has come to an end due to retirement. Contreras will undoubtedly be a downgrade defensively, especially in the framing department, but it's difficult to overstate how much more offense Contreras is likely to bring. His OPS over the last four seasons sits at .816, a number Molina reached only twice in his career and not since 2013. There will be a ballpark downgrade for Contreras, but Busch Stadium is more favorable for right-handed batters than it is lefties.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Replacing Molina in St. Louis
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Contreras and the Cardinals agreed Wednesday on a five-year, $87.5 million contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
In bringing aboard Contreras, St. Louis has found a replacement for longtime catcher Yadier Molina, who retired following the 2022 campaign after 19 seasons with the Cardinals. With Molina's production having waned in recent years, the 30-year-old Contreras will provide a major upgrade at the position, particularly on the offensive end. Over the past two seasons, Contreras' 121 wRC+ ranks third among all catchers who have logged at least 500 plate appearances over that stretch. While joining a strong Cardinals lineup that includes Nolan Arenado and reigning National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt in the heart of the order, Contreras should have a good chance at improving upon the run and RBI totals he logged with sub-.500 Cubs teams both of the last two years.
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Willson Contreras: Hits open market
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Contreras declined the Cubs' $19.65 million qualifying offer and became a free agent Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Contreras slashed .243/.349/.466 in 2022 -- a very good individual season -- but he will now join the list of star players to depart from Chicago in the last couple of years as the Cubs enter a rebuild. Contreras is known as a great catcher and should garner plenty of interest from teams looking to add a high-quality piece to their lineup.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: On bench for season finale
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Contreras isn't starting Wednesday against the Reds.
Contreras went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a strikeout Tuesday against Cincinnati, and he'll retreat to the bench for Wednesday's season finale. P.J. Higgins is starting behind the plate and batting seventh.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Hits 22nd home run
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Contreras went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Reds.
Contreras is now up to 22 home runs with one more game on the schedule Wednesday. If the catcher plays in the afternoon contest, he'll need two long balls to tie his career high of 24, set back in 2019. Either way, it's been a solid season for Contreras, as the veteran has an .815 OPS across 113 games. It'll be his first OPS above .800 since that 2019 campaign, when he finished with a career-best .888 mark.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Riding pine Monday
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Contreras isn't in the lineup Monday against Cincinnati.
Contreras started the last two games and went 0-for-6 with a run and two walks. He'll get a breather while Yan Gomes starts behind the dish and bats eighth.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Sitting Friday
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Contreras is not in the starting lineup Friday versus the Reds.
Contreras will take a seat after he went 2-for-12 with a double and four strikeouts over a three-game series with the Phillies. Yan Gomes will take over behind the plate and bat seventh in the series opener.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Back behind plate
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Contreras will start at catcher in Thursday's game against the Phillies.
Contreras served as the designated hitter in the first two games he appeared in after being activated from the injured list Tuesday, but he will be back behind the plate Thursday afternoon. The Cubs' regular leadoff hitter of late, Zach McKinstry, is not in Thursday's lineup, and Contreras will replace him atop the order.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Activated from injured list
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Contreras (ankle) was activated from the injured list Tuesday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Contreras just resumed full baseball activities Friday, and the Cubs did not have a target date for his return at that point. However, they did not need to see much before adding him back to the active roster. It's unclear if Contreras will handle an everyday role right away, but fantasy players can plan on having him available for the homestretch.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Still no timeline for return
Rotowire
Contreras (ankle) resumed full activities Friday but there is still no return date in mind for him, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Contreras has been held out of action since the end of August due to issues with his left ankle. It sounds like he's beginning to feel better, but with the end of the season fast approaching and the Cubs sitting well outside the postseason race, there doesn't seem to be much urgency to rush the star catcher back into the lineup.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Progresses to light agility work
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Contreras (ankle) recently began doing light agility work in his running progression, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Contreras has been on the injured list with a left ankle sprain since Sept. 6 and will spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the shelf. While the catcher seems to be trending in the right direction, manager David Ross said Friday that Contreras is still progressing relatively slowly and is likely about a week away from returning, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: MRI comes back clean
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Contreras (ankle) underwent an MRI on Wednesday that didn't reveal anything too concerning, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Contreras' test results were consistent with an ankle sprain, and he's expected to rest for a few days prior to resuming baseball activities. It's possible the 30-year-old spends more than the minimum of 10 days on the injured list, but it doesn't appear as though he's dealing with a particularly significant injury.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Sent in for MRI
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Contreras is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his injured left ankle Wednesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The Cubs placed Contreras on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but the extent of his left ankle injury isn't yet known. The MRI should shed more light on the matter, and once the results are available, the Cubs will have a better idea regarding whether he'll be able to return from the IL when first eligible Sept. 13. Yan Gomes is expected to serve as the Cubs' No. 1 catcher in the interim.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Contreras (ankle) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 3, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Contreras was not ready to start following a team off day Monday, so the Cubs decided to deactivate him and open up a roster spot. Yan Gomes will presumably serve as the Cubs' regular catcher until Contreras returns.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Remains sidelined
Rotowire
Contreras (ankle) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds.
Contreras has not started a game since the calendar flipped to September, and despite a team off day Monday, he will open on the bench for a fifth straight game. Yan Gomes will get the nod behind the plate Tuesday night.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Not starting Sunday
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Contreras (ankle) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Contreras will be on the bench for a fourth consecutive game while he nurses a a sore left ankle. No. 3 backstop P.J. Higgins will get a turn behind the plate Sunday after Yan Gomes caught the Cubs' previous three contests.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Remains on bench
Rotowire
Contreras (ankle) isn't starting Saturday against the Cardinals.
Contreras was removed from Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays due to left ankle soreness and will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive matchup. Whether he's available off the bench remains to be seen, but Yan Gomes will start at catcher and bat seventh.
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Cubs' Willson Contreras: Still out Friday
Rotowire
Contreras (ankle) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.
The 30-year-old will sit for a second straight game after exiting Tuesday's contest with left ankle soreness. Contreras was cleared of any serious issues after he underwent X-rays and an MRI on Wednesday, but he'll still require some additional time off after Chicago's scheduled day off Thursday. Yan Gomes will work behind the plate in Contreras' place in the series opener at St. Louis.
