Willson Contreras' unhinged charge at umpire has no place in Cardinals baseball

Ever since the St. Louis Cardinals signed Willson Contreras, the catcher-turned-first baseman has served as a model member of the team. When the Cardinals moved him out from behind the plate, Contreras worked tirelessly to reshape his body and improve his defensive ability at first base. He's repeatedly expressed his desire to remain in St. Louis, even after the team sold some of its pitching assets at the trade deadline, and he's always been unafraid to speak his mind.

However, that last quality boiled over in an ugly way in the Cardinals' walk-off win on Aug. 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the bottom of the seventh inning, umpire Derek Thomas called Contreras out on a strike that, at least on the television broadcast, appear to clip the bottom of the zone. Despite that, Contreras was livid.

Contreras has openly displayed some displeasure in the past, especially after being hit by pitches. He leads the National League in that stat, being plunked 18 times, and he has provided some choice words to the opposition following many of those beanballs. But it's been a long time since a member of the Cardinals appeared as enraged as Contreras was in the latest game.

In manager Oli Marmol's postgame interview, he defended Contreras, saying that Contreras was commenting on Thomas' overall umpiring instead of arguing that particular strike call. Marmol also claimed that Contreras didn't say whatever Thomas thought he said that earned Contreras the heave-ho. It was good to see the frequently criticized Marmol standing up for Contreras, but if he had not been so supportive of the slugger, many fans probably would have understood.

The Cardinals cannot tolerate this type of behavior.

During his tenure in St. Louis, Contreras hasn't been afraid to take the Cardinals to task when needed: He's spoken out against the front office and called for support from his teammates after he was hit by several pitches. It's easy to love Contreras given his fiery passion for the game and for his team, but this was a bridge too far for him. The fact that he chucked a bat behind him that struck hitting coach Brant Brown was unacceptable, and fans shouldn't be surprised if Contreras earns a multiple-game suspension.

A 2024 article from Cubbies Crib hypothesized that part of the reason the Chicago Cubs decided to move on from Contreras following the 2022 season was his frequent outbursts in the clubhouse. If Contreras becomes a problem in the dugout, the Cardinals may become desperate to offload his contract in any way possible. However, Contreras' no-trade clause will make that challenging.

There's no excuse for Contreras' actions. As a leader in the clubhouse, he is supposed to be a role model for the younger players, and this did not do him any favors on that front. With the Cardinals seemingly going nowhere fast in 2025, a few league-imposed games on the pine may be what he needs to clear his head.