SAN DIEGO — The serendipity is hard to ignore.
Former Cubs catcher Willson Contreras is headed to the Cardinals on a five-year, $87.5 million deal, according to multiple reports. Four months ago, the Cubs were in St. Louis for the trade deadline, and when Contreras took the field to warm up post-deadline — still a Cub, against the odds — he was greeted by a round of applause.
After spending over 13 years in the Cubs organization, Contreras is headed to their NL Central rival. And if the Cubs hope to compete for the division next year, they’ll have to go through Contreras and the Cardinals to get there.
Contreras officially closes his Cubs tenure with a World Series ring, three all-star selections and 117 home runs over seven seasons.