The Boston Red Sox have acquired 1st baseman Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for RHP Hunter Dobbins, and pitching prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. The deal marks the 2nd major trade between the two clubs this offseason, following the Sonny Gray trade a few weeks prior.
In addition to the players, Boston will also receive $8M in cash to help cover the remaining $42.5M left on Contreras’ current contract. The veteran slugger had some language in his deal changed to receive an additional $1M in guaranteed money in order to waive his no-trade clause.
The 33 year old batted .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs over 563 PA in 2025, translating to a 124 wRC+. Perhaps the bigger appeal here beyond the proven power is that Contreras is a right handed bat which will help balance out a Red Sox lineup full of lefty’s.
After Triston Casas was forced to undergo season ending knee surgery in 2025, the team had a rotating crew of players attempting to fill the void at 1st base. As such, one of Craig Breslow’s top priorities this offseason was getting some additional depth at first. The club was reportedly deep into contract negotiations with then free agent Pete Alonso, before he ultimately opted to join the Orioles.
Isaac Paredes, Kazuma Okamoto, and Munetaka Murakami were also on the team’s radar, but after Contreras softened on his desire to remain in St. Louis, the team circled back to their familiar trade partner. With an already jammed outfield featuring Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, and Ceddanne Rafaela, plus Masataka Yoshida needing at bats via the DH position, it now becomes increasingly likely that Casas may find himself traded this offseason to help address areas of need elsewhere on the roster.
Nevertheless, most would agree that Boston is still another impact bat away from having their offence set for 2025. The club remains linked to both Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman, and could circle back on Okamoto in the coming days as well.
For St. Louis, the rebuild is now fully in effect. With Gray and Contreras both dealt, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before Nolan Arenado is eventually moved as well. Jojo Romero and Brendan Donovan are two other names that have been batted around the trade circles of late, and could find themselves in a different uniform prior to Opening Day 2026.
Dobbins is unlikely to be back to full health in time for spring training, so he may begin the season continuing his rehab on his right knee. However, at 26 years old, and with multiple years of team control remaining, he figures to play a long term role with the Cardinals as they continue to overhaul their roster.
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