PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: Willson Contreras #40 of the Chicago Cubs in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the game at PNC Park on September 29, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Negotiations between the Chicago Cubs and Willson Contreras for a long-term deal feels dead in the water with the latest update.
You know things are bad for the Chicago Cubs and Willson Contreras when they can’t even get on the same page ahead of the MLB arbitration deadline. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Wilson filed at $10.25 million and Chicago came back at $9 million.
So, the team replied by asking Contreras to take a hit of more than $1 million? That’s obviously not going to sit well with the star backstop moving forward.
Cubs fans are furious with the Chicago front office
This latest update from Feinsand comes with Contreras’ future with the club totally in the air. Contreras said earlier this offseason that he and the Cubs hadn’t discussed a long-term extension yet. Trade rumors have also been flying around.
This season is going to be totally different for the Cubs, with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javy Baez not on the Opening Day roster. Contreras stayed at Wrigley Field and people all over the city are calling for the team to keep him around for the long haul.
However, how can Chicago expect to finalize a new contract with Contreras if they’re going to short-change him like this leading up to the 2022 campaign? It just doesn’t make sense and it has so many fans out there blasting the front office on Twitter.
If Contreras was annoyed before, he’s most definitely now even more upset. If the Cubs were serious about making him a priority, they’d surely be treating him better than this. We’ll see if the two sides can get on the same page, but it doesn’t look like extension news will be happening any time soon.