Contreras shifting to DH position in bid to spark Playing cards

ST. LOUIS — In a collection of strikes that even Willson Contreras admitted “caught me by surprise,” the Cardinals entrance workplace and managerial employees have determined to shift the three-time All-Star catcher and their main offseason free-agent addition into extra of a DH position to try to spark their struggling pitching employees.

The Cardinals lured Contreras away from the rival Cubs in December with a five-year, $87.5 million deal. They had been adamant on the time that he was being signed to be the catcher who would function the first substitute for retired legend Yadier Molina. Now, 33 video games into his first season in St. Louis, Contreras will probably be used virtually completely because the designated hitter within the coming weeks whereas Andrew Knizner would be the major beginning catcher. Tres Barrera, who has 51 video games of MLB expertise, was chosen from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday by a Cardinals franchise that got here into the day on a seven-game shedding streak.

Cardinals supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned the change from Contreras to Knizner because the group’s major catcher was made following a number of conferences with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, bench coach Joe McEwing, pitching coach Dusty Blake and Contreras.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about it, and it allows for some familiarity behind the plate with our [pitching] guys, which I think will help, especially with the state that we’re in, because at the end of the day, we need to start winning ballgames,” Marmol mentioned. “Some familiarity with our pitchers and our bullpen [with Knizner catching] allows for that.”

Marmol mentioned the choice to maneuver Contreras out of the catching position was made “by watching the game.” He added, “There are certain things in ways we operate that Willson is still taking to and learning — and it’s a difficult thing coming from a different organization and learning all of it.” Marmol, who selected to not be particular in regards to the areas that want enchancment, added, “So, we have an internal strategy to help with all that and we’ll start moving in that direction over the next several weeks.”

Contreras, 30, got here into Saturday slashing .280/.361/.421 with two residence runs, 9 doubles and 14 RBIs. In a beginning DH position in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Tigers, Contreras singled within the fourth inning, however he grounded out with the bases loaded within the seventh and he struck out with the potential game-tying run at second with no outs within the ninth inning.

At problem, the pitching employees’s numbers coming into Saturday — a 4.71 ERA (twenty first in MLB) and a beginning employees ERA of 5.39 (twenty fourth in MLB) which have lagged terribly and have been the reason for lots of the group’s struggles. Also, the employees has given up essentially the most residence runs (20) and has the best batting common allowed (.217) with two strikes within the rely. Four of 5 of Detroit’s runs on Friday evening got here on hits on two-strike pitches.

Contreras mentioned he lately reached out to Molina, the nine-time Gold Glover who received two World Series because the Cardinals catcher for 19 seasons. Contreras wore cleats to honor Molina on Opening Day and has idolized the catcher all through his eight-year MLB profession. He mentioned Molina gave him encouragement all through their 10-minute video chat.

“I talked to Yadi a few days about it because I was feeling guilty about it because I take the losses personally and I came here to win,” Contreras mentioned. “He mentioned he was watching the sport and that we’re not executing pitches. That’s the identical factor that I’ve been seeing. I’m not blaming anyone and I’m not pointing fingers at my pitchers as a result of I’m on their facet. But we should be higher at executing pitches with two strikes.

Marmol mentioned that Contreras has taken large strides in his pitch-framing expertise on the backside of the strike zone — an space that was of problem when he was in Chicago. In 27 video games as a catcher this season — he’s been a DH 5 occasions — he’s been charged with three errors. While Contreras has thrown out 5 would-be basestealers, he has allowed 12 stolen bases.

“If you remember when we first got [Contreras], there were questions being asked around his bottom-of-the-zone framing and his inability to do that in his career and our plan [for] improving that — and if you look where he’s at, the plan has worked,” Marmol insisted. “He’s put in the work and addressed it. We pinpointed exactly what we thought could help — and if you look at the [pitch-framing] numbers, they’re better. So, [the position shift] is not around [pitch receiving]. It has to do with some of the other nuances of that position — and all I can say is that dude is a pro.”

Marmol was bluntly requested how Contreras can enhance as a catcher if he’s catching much less and getting used virtually completely as a DH. The supervisor admitted that he had no good reply. What he did have a solution for is the place the blame mustn’t lie in regards to the group’s poorest begin to a season in 50 years.

“One thing I want to make super clear: We’re not losing ball games because Willson Contreras is behind the plate,” Marmol mentioned. “I want to be super clear on that.”