BOSTON — Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, the club’s big-ticket free-agent addition this winter, deftly handled being forced into an offense-only role in a move that publicly questioned his defensive prowess.
He signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal to become the club’s starting catcher only to see the rug yanked out from underneath him after less than 25 starts behind the plate.
Now, the next step.
On Monday night, Contreras and the Cardinals will try to put the messiness of the previous week behind them as Contreras reclaims his role as the club’s starting catcher less than two weeks after the club announced he’d be a designated hitter for an undisclosed period while they worked through issues regarding his “familiarity” with their systems and the comfort of the pitching staff.