Willson Contreras gets hugs after likely last game with Cubs

Willson Contreras received hugs and handshakes from teammates after striking out in the ninth inning Sunday night in what was likely his last game with the Chicago Cubs.

The three-time All-Star catcher is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and expects to be traded to a contender before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. EDT trade deadline. The Cubs are off on Monday before playing Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Contreras punched out against Giants closer Camilo Doval in a 4-0 loss at San Francisco to lead off the ninth, then let it sink in that his seven seasons with Chicago had likely ended. The backstop was a rookie on the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship team.

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"That’s when I realized that it was the last game before the deadline," he told reporters. "It hit me a little bit there."

Contreras is hitting .252 with 14 home runs, 38 RBIs and an .818 OPS this season.