Willson Contreras bumped into Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer von Friday morning for the primary time since Hoyer determined Tuesday to maintain his All-Star catcher for the remainder of the season.
“I saw him early in the morning when I was doing my workouts,” Contreras mentioned Friday after the Cubs’ 2-1 win towards the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. “He simply handed by me and mentioned ‘Hi.’
“But at any moment we will talk. We’re here. That’s the most important thing.”
Whether Contreras will stay with the Cubs after the 2022 season is anybody’s guess, however no less than he has virtually two months to persuade Hoyer why he deserves to remain within the group long run.
Contreras let his bat do all of the speaking Friday in what everybody known as his “homecoming” sport. His two-run dwelling run within the eighth inning led the Cubs to a comeback win over the Marlins, snapping a five-game dropping streak.
“I’m happy to be with the Cubs for the rest of the year,” Contreras mentioned. “Why not? We have a extremely good chemistry within the clubhouse, a extremely good fan base. I do know that proper now this isn’t a profitable staff, however I do know sooner or later we are going to flip right into a profitable staff.
“They’ve done a good job raising the farm (system). I’ve been hearing a lot about prospects in the organization that are really exciting. Hopefully with time and experience, they’ll be the best.”
Cubs followers showered Contreras with love earlier than his first-inning at-bat and once more after his no-doubt-about-it dwelling run off Dylan Floro within the eighth, shortly after Nick Madrigal led off the inning with a single. Madrigal had the Cubs’ first hit of the sport — a single main off the sixth off reliever Huascar Brazobán — heading into the inning.
Justin Steele struck out 10 in 4 ⅔ innings, whereas reliever Rowan Wick threw 1 ⅓ scoreless frames to earn the win.
But the day belonged to Contreras, who was hugging everybody in sight the final time he left Wrigley after assuming like everybody else that he could be dealt by the Tuesday commerce deadline.
“Last time was kind of saying goodbye, it was an emotional moment,” Contreras mentioned. “Today was really a high-energy moment.”
Hoyer, who wasn’t out there Friday — he’s scheduled to speak with reporters subsequent week — mentioned by way of a Zoom name Tuesday that he held on to Contreras and Ian Happ as a result of he didn’t really feel the return being provided was well worth the worth. It’s troublesome to think about the Cubs wouldn’t get sufficient expertise again for a few All-Stars, and holding on to Contreras was an particularly dangerous transfer in the event that they don’t re-sign him. Happ has one other 12 months earlier than he turns into a free agent, so it was much less of a shock that he stayed.
Contreras hopes the story is over and he can get some sense of normalcy again for the ultimate weeks of a misplaced season. He admitted it was exhausting going via the nervousness of the final month, particularly over the ultimate days. When he got here to St. Louis on Wednesday — the day after the commerce deadline — he advised his teammates “my eyes are just tired. I just want to be somewhere sleeping.”
But after Friday’s sport Contreras mentioned he feels “more relaxed” and may give attention to the job at hand. He nonetheless needs to win and may construct his stats to extend his worth on the free-agent market.
Cubs followers have spoken loudly about their choice for Hoyer to retain Contreras, who repeatedly has mentioned he needs to remain, even with the rebuild within the first 12 months. Last week in San Francisco he advised reporters: “I care a lot about winning. I know this team is not made to win this year — not even close. But I learned a lot from this team, too, from losing.”
It’s been an extended season for the Cubs, and Contreras, greater than anybody, has been via the grinder.
But he is aware of precisely the place he needs to be, and he’s nonetheless right here.
Anytime Hoyer needs to speak, Contreras is able to pay attention.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com
