For 19 years, Yadier Molina served as the guiding light for the St. Louis Cardinals. It had become difficult to imagine a Cardinals team without his steady hand calling games behind the plate. But all good things must end, and after Molina finally called it a career following the 2022 season, the team began its hunt for a starting catcher for the first time in John Mozeliak's tenure.
The Cardinals eventually signed Willson Contreras as a free agent, and it became clear in 2023 that the team was woefully unprepared for post-Molina life, as they yanked Contreras out from behind the plate for a spell during the season and had pitchers grumble about his game-calling and preparation.