MESA, Ariz. – Cubs catcher Willson Contreras launched a baseball over the fence in left-center field during batting practice Sunday, Major League Baseball’s official spring training report date.
A video of that easy swing prompted a predictable response from Cubs fans on Twitter: Extend him.
“The support is really great,” Contreras said. “Cubs fans are really great. Whatever happens from now on, I’m gonna do my best for them.”
Cubs fans have been calling for their team to offer Contreras a contract extension for the past year. Now, he’s entering his final year of arbitration and club control. He’s one of three players left from the Cubs’ 2016 World Series – four counting manager David Ross – and potentially a veteran who can bridge the Cubs’ last championship window to their next.
For Contreras to do that, the club will have to extend his contract or re-sign him in free agency. He said he’s open to extension talks, but the Cubs haven’t initiated them yet.
“I’m good with it,” Contreras said. “They know what they’re doing. They know what’s best for the team. I’m here because I love my team.”
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, after declining to talk about specific contract discussions, said it’s an “incredibly busy” time for the front office. They had four days between the end of the lockout and the first official spring training workouts on Monday.
“Not all those deals are going to come together right away, but that’s certainly the goal,” Hoyer said late last week. “As for our own guys, once we have filled out our roster, that’s something we’ll re-address.”
Unlike when former Cubs star Anthony Rizzo said he and his agents wouldn’t negotiate after opening day last year, Contreras said he doesn’t have a deadline in mind.
“I don’t think I would feel comfortable talking about an extension during the session,” he added. “I would rather do it before, if they’re willing to do it, or after, if they’re willing to do it.”
Once they find a time to dive into extension discussions, the money doesn’t seem to be the only factor Contreras will be weighing. It rarely is for players making decisions about their long-term futures.
Contreras experienced the Cubs’ trade deadline selloff first-hand last year, saying goodbye to one-third of the Cubs’ opening day roster, including Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kris Bryant.
Will Contreras need to know the Cubs’ plan for the next few years before he commits?
“I’m all about winning,” he said. “And I hope I can get at least one more ring in my career. That’s something that I’m looking forward to.”
While Contreras said he’s taking this process one day at a time, he also isn’t shying away from the possibility that he reaches free agency next winter and gets to gauge what other teams are willing to pay him.
“It would be like a dream coming true,” he said, referencing his journey from minor-league third baseman to the Cubs’ All-Star catcher. “It would be fun to have that experience.”
From extension talks to trade rumors, Contreras’ status with the Cubs has been a hot topic for years. He’s come to embrace it. This winter, he stoked the flames when reports came out that catcher Yan Gomes was signing with the Cubs.
Contreras posted a series of plane emojis to Twitter. He smiled when asked about the Tweet.
“I was just trying to play around,” he said. “I’m still here. This is my team.”