5 best things to happen to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022

#4 - The Cardinals got the perfect replacement for Yadier Molina

Now, replacing one-half of that historic battery was going to be a tall task for St. Louis. How do you replace a legend like Yadier Molina? He not only will go down as one of the best catchers in baseball history, but he is one of the single most beloved Cardinals. The pressure that comes with being "the next" guy is something few people have the ability to step into. That's why getting a guy like Willson Contreras was so important for the Cardinals.

John Mozeliak has gone on record to say that one of the things that drew them to Contreras was his desire to replace the legend. Contreras holds so much respect and love for Yadier Molina, and yet, he is not afraid to take on the mantle of catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Other catchers like Sean Murphy may have been great fits talent-wise, but I do not think there is another catcher who has the mentality needed to take over as Contreras has.

Let's be honest, the Cardinals had to go big with this position. Could you imagine if they had grabbed a stopgap option for 2023 or relied on their internal options? The tone of this off-season would be an utter disaster. The whole league knew St. Louis needed a catcher, and yet they were able to grab the perfect guy at a reasonable deal.

We all will miss Molina, Contreras can't change that. But I don't think it will be long before we all fall in love with the kind of player Contreras is, and he ushers in a new era behind the plate in St. Louis.