The Chicago Cubs have brought in a lot of new faces for 2022. Cubs fans will also notice that very few players remain from the 2016 World Series roster. The only players still with the team are Jason Heyward, Kyle Hendricks, and Willson Contreras.
Contreras has been in the Cubs organization for a very long time. Contreras signed with the Cubs back in 2009 as a 17-year old international free agent. Cubs fans will remember his major league debut in 2016 when Contreras homered on the very first pitch he saw. Now, the 29-year old’s future with the Cubs is met with a lot of uncertainty.
Contreras went on air with 670 The Score and discussed the possibility of a departure from the Cubs.
“This is something that is really tough for me,” Contreras said. “Personally, the relationships I have with the team, players, and fans, (leaving) will be something that will be really tough to take. This is something very emotional for me, knowing all that I have had to go through to get to this point. It’s going to be really tough and very emotional.”
The veteran catcher speaks as though his departure is almost a sure thing. Contreras is set to be a free agent at the end of the year and it seems that progress towards an extension with the Cubs is nonexistent at this time.
Willson Contreras says there have been no contract extension talks with the #Cubs.
Contreras, a free agent after the season, is “always open” for an extension though doesn’t think he’d want those talks to happen in season. pic.twitter.com/8XNYvAKpP1
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) March 13, 2022
The 2021 season saw the Cubs split with multiple cornerstone players. Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Kris Bryant entered last season without contract extensions and were all traded at the deadline. Now, there is a strong possibility that Contreras meets a similar fate this season.
If the Cubs decide to move on from Contreras, the 23-year old catching prospect, Miguel Amaya will be a major reason why. Amaya finished the 2021 season 4th among the Cubs’ top prospects. Unfortunately, Amaya recently underwent Tommy John surgery causing his major league ETA to be a little unclear.
Willson Contreras has been with the Cubs organization for his entire adult life. A split between the two would be difficult for Contreras and Cubs fans alike. Willson’s future is one of the several unknowns that the Cubs will face in this upcoming season. Willson Contreras and the Cubs open up the regular season at home on April 7th against the Milwaukee Brewers.
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