Willson Contreras has two very good reasons to be angry right now. The Red Sox first baseman is sitting on a seven-game suspension for a benches-clearing incident with the Nationals’ Cade Cavalli, who shouted something personal at him after striking him out. And on top of that, the American League All-Star roster came out and Contreras is not on it.
Not as a starter. Not as a reserve. Not at all.
The only Boston player heading to the Midsummer Classic is closer Aroldis Chapman. That tells you a lot about where this Red Sox season is going.
The Cavalli thing was ugly
Tuesday night in Washington, Cavalli struck out Contreras and shouted “sit down, boy” in a way that clearly crossed a line. Contreras took exception. Both guys ended up suspended for seven games. Contreras is appealing, and the hope inside the clubhouse is the league reduces it, but nobody is holding their breath.
Interim manager Chad Tracy has not commented publicly on the appeal process. The Red Sox have generally let the league handle it quietly. But privately, people around the team are frustrated that Contreras got the same penalty as Cavalli when Cavalli started the whole thing with his mouth.
The All-Star snub stings worse
Look, Contreras is not a guy who hides his emotions. He plays loud. He wears his heart on his sleeve and sometimes that sleeve is dirty because he just dove headfirst into first base. But the numbers are the numbers. He leads the Red Sox in home runs with 18, he has 53 RBIs which is also the team high, and he has been the one consistent bat in a lineup that has spent most of the season looking lost.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got the starting nod at first base for the AL, which is fair. Guerrero is having a monster year. The reserves are Ben Rice of the Yankees and Nick Kurtz of the Athletics. Both of those guys are playing well. Neither of them has carried their team the way Contreras has carried Boston.
Does that mean Contreras got robbed? Maybe, maybe not. But it stings because the Red Sox offense has been brutal, and he is the one guy who showed up every day. The team ranks near the bottom of the league in runs scored. Without Contreras, they would be unwatchable.
What happens next
Contreras has two games left before the break, both against the Angels. Those games could get chippy. The Angels have nothing to do with any of this, but Contreras plays with a short fuse and the suspension appeal hanging over him might make things worse.
Boston management has not commented on whether they plan to push for roster changes at the deadline. But if the lineup stays this cold and Contreras is the only real threat in the order, it is hard to see this team making any noise in the second half.
The All-Star snub is just a symbol of a bigger reality. The Red Sox do not have enough good players. And their best one just got suspended.
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