Willson Contreras (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Chicago Cubs: It’s good to see such positive energy between the new Cubs manager and his players.
Chicago Cubs manager David Ross may be completely unproven in his current role, but he definitely knows how to keep fans on his side. Ross gave heartfelt praise to star catcher Willson Contreras. It’s a pretty good sign to see Ross, who was an excellent catcher in his day, show such confidence in the young Contreras.
Ross has had a challenging time convincing the world that he was a good choice for the Cubs’ new manager, and starting his first managerial season in the middle of a global pandemic certainly isn’t helping things. However, if anyone stands to benefit from the former catcher’s leadership, it’s Contreras. A good relationship between these two can only be good for the organization.
David Ross, on Willson Contreras:
“Willson’s heart is he wants to catch every game. If I told Willson, ‘You’ve got all 60,’ he would be all on board with that. I think sometimes in this seat, you have to protect your star players and your guys in general.”
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 14, 2020
Contreras is already a two-time All-Star, but there has been a lot of talk about how big his role in the Cubs’ rotation will be this season. Victor Caratini is expected to catch when Yu Darvish pitches after the duo posted some pretty incredible stats in the back half of last season. Ross’s resounding endorsement of Contreras’s skills should reassure fans and the catcher himself that the new manager has every intention of using him to his full potential.
David Ross, on Willson Contreras:
“Willson’s heart is he wants to catch every game. If I told Willson, ‘You’ve got all 60,’ he would be all on board with that. I think sometimes in this seat, you have to protect your star players and your guys in general.”
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 14, 2020
Contreras has gotten better and better the longer he’s been in the MLB, so hopefully, the weirdness of this season won’t slow up his progress too much. With Ross’s catching experience leading the team, Cubs fans have a lot to be excited about here when baseball finally makes its return.