The Red Sox have acquired first baseman Willson Contreras from the Cardinals for right-hander Hunter Dobbins and multiple minor league pitchers, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (multiple links). Right-handers Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita are the prospects in question, as per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that Contreras will get a $1MM bonus as a sweetener for waiving his no-trade clause.
MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo writes that the Cardinals will be including $8MM to help cover part of the $41.5MM still owed to Contreras over the remainder of his contract. Contreras is owed $18MM in 2026, $18.5MM in 2027, and the Red Sox hold a $20MM club option on his services in 2028, with a $7.5MM buyout. The club option was also adjusted as part of the trade, The Athletic’s Katie Woo reports, as Contreras was previously slated for a $17.5MM club option with a $5MM buyout. All in all, Contreras is owed $44MM in guaranteed money over the remainder of his deal, and that drops to a $36MM commitment for the Red Sox when factoring in the Cardinals’ $8MM contribution.
Less than a month after landing Sonny Gray, the Sox have now acquired another prominent veteran talent from St. Louis. Contreras and Gray both had full no-trade clauses in their contracts, and neither player was open to waiving that protection last winter when the Cardinals were first exploring a rebuild. After a lackluster 78-84 season sent the Cards more firmly looking towards the future, Gray, Contreras, and Nolan Arenado (who blocked a deal to the Astros last winter) all indicated in recent months that they were more open to accepting a trade.
In Contreras’ case, he cracked the door open at the end of season by saying that “if something comes up…and it makes sense for me and my future, how about we talk about that?” Contreras said. The first baseman stressed that he was still eager to contribute as a veteran leader within the Cardinals’ rebuild, though reports emerged a few weeks ago that Contreras was showing an increased willingness to waive his no-trade clause and move on to a new challenge.
Contreras (who turns 34 in May) ends his St. Louis tenure with a .261/.358/.459 slash line and 55 home runs over 1416 plate appearances from 2023-25. Signed to a five-year, $87.5MM free agent deal back in December 2022, the idea was that Contreras would take over from Yadier Molina as the team’s regular catcher, yet in somewhat awkward fashion, the Cardinals reduced Contreras’ playing time behind the plate and used him regularly as a DH.
Heading into the 2025 season, Contreras became a full-time first baseman, returning to a position he’d played only a handful of times earlier in his career with the Cubs. The Outs Above Average metric gave Contreras a positive +6 grade for his first base work in 2025, but he also received -1 Defensive Runs Saved. Regardless, it would seem like Contreras is at least a passable defender at the cold corner, and the Red Sox can live with only so-so defense as long as the former All-Star continues to hit. Contreras is a right-handed batter, which helping balance out a Boston lineup that tilts to the left side.
Contreras’ final four seasons in Chicago overlapped with Craig Breslow’s time working in the Cubs’ front office, before Breslow was hired to take over Boston’s baseball operations department following the 2023 season. Breslow’s tenure has thus far been defined by significant trades, ranging from the deals that brought Gray, Garret Crochet, and now Contreras to Fenway Park, and last June’s surprising move that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants.
One of the many factors involved in the Devers trade was Devers’ displeasure over being asked to move to first base in the wake of Triston Casas’ season-ending knee surgery in early May. While Romy Gonzalez and deadline pickup Nathaniel Lowe helped fill the first base void, there was little doubt the Sox were going to address the position in a larger fashion this winter. Pete Alonso, Isaac Paredes, Kazuma Okamoto, Munetaka Murakami, and Bryce Eldridge were among the first base candidates on Boston’s radar on the free agent and trade fronts this winter, and Cotillo reported last week that Contreras was another name under consideration.
With Contreras now in the fold, a Casas trade now looks increasingly likely. Casas has been floated in trade talks even dating back to last winter and prior to his knee surgery, and despite his injury-shortened season, rival clubs figure to have interest in the former top prospects. Conversely, if the Sox could figure out a way to dump Masataka Yoshida’s contract, Casas could share first base/DH duties with Contreras.
Adding a first baseman solves another piece of Boston’s infield puzzle. Contreras is now at first base and Trevor Story will be at shortstop, with top prospect Marcelo Mayer in line to see action at second or third base. The Red Sox remain linked to such other major infield names as Bo Bichette or old friend Alex Bregman, and Contreras’ $36MM price tag shouldn’t prevent the Sox from spending big on either of those names, even considering Boston’s recent wariness about major financial commitments. Trading an outfielder could further shake up the position-player mix, and there have been consistent rumors about the possibility of the Sox moving an outfielder for pitching.
The Red Sox entered the winter with a lot of pitching depth in terms of young arms, yet were lacking proven frontline hurlers that could join Crochet and Brayan Bello in the rotation. Gray was one answer, and fellow trade pickup Johan Oviedo could be another after Oviedo was acquired from the Pirates. This has made Breslow more comfortable in trading from further down his pitching depth chart, and after moving Richard Fitts and prospect Brandon Clarke to St. Louis for Gray, Breslow has now parted ways with Dobbins, Fajardo, and Aida.
More to come…
Wow, they finally made the big move. Curious who they gave up.
Pitching, pitching, pitching
Not a bad first step, but hopefully more to come soon.
Uncle – I called it! Not exactly the “slugger” we wanted obviously, averaging only 17 HR a year. Casas can’t be happy about this, as I don’t think Contreras will catch more than 60 games if any. Gotta believe if something happens with Narvaez or Wong, he would at least help fill in?
Fever- I still think they are going to pick up a bat. Maybe Suarez who would also take care of 3rd.
No chance he catches at all.
You must be so proud
FPG
I predict he will not catch a single inning in a 9 inning game all year barring multiple injuries in the same game.
I also predict fans will be happy with the acquisition and he will do very well at the plate.
MLB – Okay bookmark this ;O)
I mean he caught 51 games just last year, it’s not like he hasn’t caught in forever. As many people mentioned, it was injuries not performance that resulted in him switching to first base.
In fact last year he was middle of the pack with an even zero DRS (min 400 innings).
Tbh I was hoping the Giants would make this move. A catcher who can hit would be great.
He’s not a catcher (outside of an occasional start if in an injury pinch) anymore, 1B/DH. Really solid at-bat, he’ll take at Fenway. You’ll also love how hard he plays and wears his emotion on his sleeve.
@FPG is was performance. He constantly grabbed for strikes and interfered, which got him hurt. That’s a performance issue to make up for his deficiencies. He will probably catch more with autoumps.
This probably means they won’t be bugging the White Sox all spring to trade them Murakami.
seriously? underwhelming.. hopefully they didn’t overpay for him.
Very very good hitter. This makes the Sox pretty complete with a bit of luck.
Also solid defensively. Great pick up.
worthy of one “very”, not two
seam – You’re not concerned about the 57-point OPS drop? Of course you’re not ;O)
Fever- exactly, but what’s done is done. I don’t completely dislike this move seeing as the top tier pitching prospects weren’t dealt (thankfully), though I liked Dobbins. It’s an OK complimentary move.
The move is fine but it still doesn’t provide 6the big bopper the team needs. There are many solid hitters but who’s going to hit 30+ homers that will scare the opposition? Assuming he’s not traded, Casas has the ability but can’t be depended on. Suarez is the only option left and while a good threat, he doesn’t have the wow factor that would totally make the lineup dangerous.
@Fever: “You’re not concerned about the 57-point OPS drop?”
Statcast page for 2025 looks similar to previous years and there wasn’t a lot of protection in that Cardinals lineup. I wouldn’t be too concerned about his hitting.
smk – I don’t hate the move, it’s giving up on Casas that kinda perturbs me.
If Contreras platoons between DH and Catcher, then I’m totally cool with it …. but I know he’s not expected to catch, at least right now. That could change though.
And also to be totally cool with it, they MUST make at least one other move to bring a real slugger. If this is the “Righthanded power” guy they were seeking, it would be a major disappointment.
Even on a career 162-game average, it amounts to only 26 HR ….. not nearly enough, especially if you subtract Casas homeruns.
Dewey – I’m with you, its fine, but doesn’t mive the needle at all.
Here’s my problem with this:
– everyone complains about the last years of a long term contract where the player’s diminishing skills dont match the salary. But, why dont people understand that when you make the signing you get the benefit of the good peak years? With Contreras we are buying the last years of the diminishing player, without the benefit of having gotten the peak years.
– the terms of Contreras contract are palatable now because its been four years since it was signed, and this is how much the market has moved, its not a bargain to get this player for $18m now, its on par with the market. Youre getting half the stats of Alonso, for half the salary
Just moving to Fenway will give his OPS a boost, as it does every hitter.
dewey – I totally agree! Casas has the ability but he won’t get the chance unless he plays nearly every day. I think he’s persona non grata with Beslow, especially after defending Raffy. I expect Casas to be gone regardless of what Breslow may say.
styme – Let’s hope, because his .660 OPS in 36 PA’s is not a good indication as small as it is.
Fastest Average Bat Speed RH Batters – 2025 Season:
Junior Caminero: 78.5 mph
Jo Adell: 77.6 mph
Aaron Judge: 77.0 mph
Vladimir Guerrero Jr: 76.7 mph
Julio Rodríguez: 76.4 mph
Willson Contreras: 76.0 mph
x.com/jayhaykid/status/2002919898046198211?ref_src…
Your comment is underwhelming
Career .811 OPS, 118 OPS plus,
He’s a very good hitter.
Had a great career. Unfortunately past his prime and declining. Career doesn’t matter when they’re at the end of it
His stats last year were a .791 OPS, and 123 OPS plus, you know, the same as his careet stats.
Pretty sure you can figure out how to google stuff too bro.
Last year’s OPS was 5 points above his lifetime OPS.
First basemen tend to age better than the more demanding positions and he still is a solid hitter. They were looking for a veteran to fill the position and found one.
This is nothing but a less than lateral move from Bregman’s stats, but with less upside
AMAZING
No chance, he has as quick of a bat as anyone in the league — lotta thunder in it too
He’s been consistently posting .340 on base and .450 slugging each year of his career. Literally hasnt changed at all since he’s been in the league. Definitely could be declining but the numbers definitely dont seem to agree
They don’t even play the same position, ya dope. Maybe you should compare Contreras to Duran now?
Who says they’re not signing Bregman or Bichette too?
Shorter term. I actually prefer this to bregman. I hope we find a decent solution for third or second that isn’t bregman as well. Unless he wants a short deal that is.
Weird. His War has been steadily decreasing the past 5 years. Almost like a player past his prime. Owar, decreasing. Dwar, decreasing.
Every player we get fits that description. Just be glad we actually added someone that should be a decent bat.
He’s not declining yet. Was a good move. Cards pay the last year buy out. Not the ideal catcher but if there is an injury he can catch as well.
Mack- he batted .252 and hit 20 homeruns. Are we to expect a big leap forward on his 34th bday?
Uncle – I dont hate the player, but this isn’t even a Bregman replacement.
BigBopper: His catching days are done.
Try again. He’s still at his peak. 123 OPS+ last year, 118 OPS+ in his career.
His fWAR for the past 5 years: 2.7, 3.5, 2.8, 2.7, 2.8 – that’s about as consistent as it gets
He no longer catchers, so of course he’s less valuable defensively. Not exactly a revelation.
His career clearly isn’t over.
No, but he’s still a very good hitter, and his power numbers are as good as they ever were (and a .252 BA is really not bad at all). Looking under the hood: .358xwOBA, .481 xSLG, 14% barrel rate, 95th percentile bat speed. Nothing really concerning anywhere.
Seems Dobbins being included in this deal essentially automatically makes it an “overpay,” I get the cards are sending some $$ but they’d have to pay his whole contract to make Dobbins the centerpiece…. Wait it would still be an overpay…. Im really confused by these teams giving up high end talent that’s already proven they’re ML capable players for slow, mid 30’s corner INF/OUT type “sluggers”/hitters, i mean Contreras isn’t even really a slugger, he’s an above average ML hitter but doesn’t really provide any other value, he seems well liked by teammates and that’s gotta be worth something but not sure how they figure they’re going to get the value out of Contreras, especially with his salary, (even with the cards covering however much) Dobbins and all of his cheap team control years is far more value…. But they throw in more prospects…. wow well of course I’m no MLB front office guy, but obviously 2+2=4 and I’m not sure how most likely the last few productive seasons of a slow, aging hitter is worth the league minimum years of a pitcher who’s just realizing his potential and coming into his prime…..its insanity really.. but goes on and on and ooooooonn, it’s HEAVEN AND HE….
Dobbins? That has you concerned? Dobbins is crap.
IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!
No more Bregman!!!!!!!
Damn. Hopefully they didn’t give up to much. Hopefully Yoshida.
We have zero incentive to take Yoshida. Hopefully pitching.
No one’s taking Yoshida.
Jean – He has value. The question is how much a team would want to cover some of his salary.
Fever, Yes he does, but I think it’s one of those situations where the amount the other team would want the Sox to eat is probably more than they’re willing to. Of course, I thought SD would never be able to move Eric Hosmer either.
Jean – Yeah I’m really glad this was the final year the Red Sox had to pay a portion of Hosmer’s salary. What a horrible trade.
lol it’s pitching no one taking junk especially when WC is above quality. Face it you’re stuck with Yoshida
Fans are hilarious. Why won’t the other team take our junk for their star?
roob – The bigger irony is what they deem “junk” now was a “brilliant acquisition” when Breslow/Bloom acquired them.
It’s a good move for those who expected nothing out of Casas next year, but it will be a bad move if Casas gets traded and returns to 2023/early2024 form.
And what about KC? Can he improve enough to play 2B? OF is a bit jammed at the moment.
FPG – I dont hate this player. I hate the fit….
They moved Campbell to LF. They have Mayer for either 2B or 3B , but no one for the other spot. And trade for an againg platoon partner for Casas.
This guy won’t replicate Bregman’s stats. So what did we accomplish?
The Red Sox are acquiring Willson Contreras from the Cardinals for three players, including righthander Hunter Dobbins, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The clubs have not confirmed the deal, which required Contreras to waive a no-trade clause.
Righthander Yhoiker Fajardo (who was the No. 23-ranked prospect in the Cardinals’ system) and righthander Blake Aita are also headed to St. Louis and Boston will receive $8 million in the trade.
Why is Yoshi so hated? Bad year last season but first 2 were ok. Is he just overpaid?
Daaaang
Will he move back to C?
Not a chance. He’s a solid first baseman now.
No way he moves back to catcher regularly BUT the Red Sox had a gaping hole at 3rd string catcher last season and they still haven’t figured out how to fill it.
Contreras for an occasional game at catcher when/if there’s an injury world help.
Good question. He’d definitely be a more valuable asset as the back-up catcher.
lol he’s more valuable as your starting 1B not getting injured and hitting. I’d be thinking last year would teach Red Sox fans they needed a 1B
Catcher has far more value than 1B. Any games he wasn’t filling in at catcher he could DH or play 1B to give days off. If he agreed to be the back-up catcher, the positional flexibility he’d give the Sox would be of much greater value for the them than as the regular 1b. 1B is a much easier position to fill, lol indeed. Also, not a Sox fan.
He gets INJURED as a C bro read the room and his history! He’s better healthy and hitting. He’s past the Catching days now
Read again, back-up catcher. And It’s silly to not play a guy at the more valuable position because you’re worried he might het injured. Maybe the Royals shouldn’t have played Perez at C, or the Giants shouldn’t have played Posey there. Play the game to win, not to try and not get injured.
I also said if he agreed to play back-up. If he prefers 1B that’s the Sox’s loss. But at least they should explore whether he would.
asd – He was moved to first base to lighten his load, do you really think if Narvaez or Wong goes on the IL for a couple weeks they’ll use some schmuck behind the plate instead of Contreras?
Remember, it’s the Red Sox …. changing their mind and panic moves is their specialty.
FPG- not sure, he didnt catch any games last year
Jean Matrac: He’s not a catcher anymore. The Cardinals decided he was unplayable behind the plate.
Than they are doomed as he’s too good defensively where he puts his whole body at risk. His framing improved but so did freak major injuries too. That’s what did him was losing playing time. He’s better off for his health and age and bat at 1B/DH he’s going to bring a fire to the clubhouse and is a great glue guy.
There is a reason he is no longer catching. He wasn’t very good at it, and didn’t get along with the pitchers.
He’s not going to catch.
Alfred E Neuman, “The Cardinals decided he was unplayable behind the plate.”
That’s one to put it if objectivity is not an issue. Perhaps the reason instead was the the Cards had 2 young catchers they were trying to develop, and to protect Contreras from injury, maximizing his bat.
Though he was subpar as a framer, the fact that in 2023 he was just -1 in blocks above average (Murphy at 16 was best, Sabol at -19 was worst), had a good pop time (tied for 20th out of 81 qualifiers), and was tied for 8th overall in throwing, with 4 catcher’s CS above average, suggests he was more than adequate behind the plate.
And play 50 games as backup catcher?
Why would you assume a back-up catcher would just sit in the digout when he wasn’t catching? And as I said, “Any games he wasn’t filling in at catcher he could DH or play 1B to give days off.” When a team has a guy with his ability with the bat it’s a no brainer to maximize that.
He didnt catch a single game in 2025, but you think he’s the backup catcher?
No chance
I can see him taking some reps at catcher throughout the year. His framing isn’t as bad as some Cardinals brass would have you believe. The way he fought back from criticism and adversity about his catching ability early in his Cardinals tenure shows the type of character he is. A great pick up for the Red Sox.
No, defensively speaking this is very much like when Boston acquired aging but still effective bat-first catcher Mike Napoli for the 2013 season and made sure Napoli never caught another major league game..
There may be a decent Napoli parallel here regarding intangibles as well.
Big day on MLBTR
Good for the Red Sox he is very good piece for Boston…..on the flip side has anyone woke up Cashman n Hal that the winter meetings have passed and spring training is 7 weeks away and you haven’t done a freaking thing yet ……WHAT IN THE BLUE F#$@ is your plan Yankees
@Yankee
What players of interest of is, aren’t on the table, that they didn’t pursue? You’re acting like the Yanks can do more than just make an offer and wait for the player to decide. It takes two buddy.
Why is everything have to be about the Yankees?
-Curious Yankees fan wants to know.
@Sal
Shouldn’t be.
This is a great acquisition for the Sox. He’s a winner and a solid player at first. I was hoping for Mets.
Same. Not sure what the Mets have in mind.
Maybe Casas?
Which pitchers did we get?
Dobbins
Hunter Dobbins and minor leaguers
Fajardo will be a solid add too.
Later Alex
David Stearns where u at bro?
He’ll be back after Hanukkah.
Dang. This is a move I was hoping the Giants would make.
Hey can still give us youthful pitching for Brendan Donavan you guys are in the running still apparently
Breslow is really wanting to finish in fourth place! This is a horrible trade!
You don’t even know who they gave up yet ya mook.
Great trade, actually.
horace – What about Dobbins do you not like? Most everyone here was drooling over him until he got hurt.
Good but the Sox are knocking on the door. Go for it.
American League East teams are loading up. More to come…
Just read an article on Yahoo Sports, talking about Burleson target at 1st Base, prophesy has been foretold.
Burleson and Herrera I’m sure
The stove is heating up
Yess! Now Marte and Peralta
Big NO on Marte
Don’t want one of the best players in the game?
Marte to the M’s
Maybe it’s nothing. But it’s a bit concerning Bloom can only deal with Boston thus far. He’s going to need to make new friends. Perhaps a little tunnel visioned on his previous crushes.
Neither of the players Bloom acquired in the Gray trade were with Boston when Bloom was there. No crush.
It remains to be seen who he got here, but in the Gray trade none of them were in the organization while Bloom was there. It all comes down to who offers the most and where a player who has a full NTC is willing to go.
Yeah, I suspect that Boston is the only team who needed and could afford Contreras willing to trade a pitcher as solid as Dobbins plus two more pitching prospects.
Stearns probably wanted to keep the best Mets pitching prospects out of a Castillo deal and may not have had the quantity of Fajardo and Aita level pitching prospects to trade.
I actually thought the same, but reverse. Seems like no one is returning Breslows calls except former Boston people.
Sounds like Hunter Dobbins is going back, plus more pitching, per Passan.
Saw the same, hopefully the minor league pitchers are not any of the higher level prospects.
Per Ian Cundall on X:
Don’t think it’s a coincidence that the three pitchers the Red Sox dealt for Wilson Contreras all have fastballs that struggle to miss bats consistently. The highest whiff rate of the trio was 16%. MLB average was 21-22%.
Hunter Dobbins 11.9%
Yhoiker Fajardo 12.9%
Blake Aita 16%
x.com/IanCundall/status/2002920990192656525?ref_sr…
Never forget when Mia Khalifa outed him for sliding in her dms. He could do no wrong to Cubs fans before this, and it was so easy to see he was a pretty bad catcher afterwards. That was the canon moment of embarrassment. Cards eventually got it right moving him to 1b/dh, but I wonder who Boston gave up and how he fits in there?
Messing with Mia Khalifa is a bad thing?
Perfect fit for Boston short term. Why should I care about him messaging hoes though?
you are being so dramatic lmao
His agents at Octagon claimed Contreras’s account had been hacked. Or maybe he was confused and really trying to reach Sam Khalifa for hamstring injury rehab tips.
Why? I mean, its an offensive addition I suppose. But for as much as Contreras gets paid, and the negligible difference in production, why not just give Casas another shot to see if he can actually stay healthy? This doesn’t move the needle a whole lot…move for the sake of making a move doesn’t usually work out well. Guess it all depends on what they gave up
I think they have given up on Casas. He will likely be gone in another trade.
Very solid defensively at first as well.
It’s something. I certainly hope there is more, because this is only the upgrade at first base that the team has needed and been ignoring for several years. Still need to replace/upgrade over Bregman, or bring back Bregman though that is looking increasingly unlikely.
Casas has three options left. They can store him in the minors until Contreras’ contract is up.
Correct. The team has high enough aspirations that they can’t afford to have Casas trying to “figure it out” in their everyday lineup. He can work on refining his game in Worcester, and if it’s going well then we can talk. If it looks like he’s rediscovered his form from 2023, he can step in and replace Yoshida at DH with no issue.
I just like trades… I can imagine the back and forth till an agreement is made
Early?
Nope
Absolute superstar when it comes to intangibles. Sad to see him leave the Cardinals. Red Sox are wise to acquire him and what he brings to a team outside of stats. Red Sox ate legitimate World Series contenders now.
You see intangibles, I see a guy who far too easily lets him emotions get the best of him.
Mack – agreed, intangibles are awesome as a finishing piece to a championship team, not a third place team.
No, actually intangibles are important to every team. Are you a bot?
Ghost – Bregman was an awesome leader too, bought the rookies suits in spring training…..now who’s hitting the homeruns?
He had Yadi’s endorsement before he signed with the Cards and that’s good enough for me.
Did you see what the Blue Jays and Orioles have done? The Sox are now 4th best team in division
You just said third place, if you’re gonna troll, ya gotta remember what you write for more than a minute.
Ghost- finished in 3rd place last year. Heading to 4th this year.
Not a troll at all. Just seen this movie before. Six years of one step forward, one step back is starting to annoy real fans.
Once again Beeslow doesnt address the pressing problems of 2B or 3B but instead gets a ‘on the back side of his career’ 33yo mediocre hitter. Please no one remind me of his amazing 2.5 WAR. I dont care. This is a co.plete lateral move (stat wise).from what Bregman did last year. No power upgrade.
So we couldn’t sign Suarez instead?
Blue Jays and Orioles must be quaking in their boots.
I think this is just the first of multiple moves.
Did you miss the part where the red sox spent 90% of last season trying to find someone to play first ? ..this is a positive move enjoy the win and complain once spring training starts if they still have a problem at 2b or 3b.
Half the time on here, I think people don’t even actually follow MLB.
Poolhall – what about Casas? Are they walking away from him, or is this a L/R platoon?
Sad.sox..When was the last time Casas was healthy for even half a season? A serious contender is not waiting and hoping he might be healthy let alone healthy and productive..let’s not forget even when on the field last year he wasn’t very good..
At all..
Trade piece.
So, this is the move? Not a 3B upgrade, not a power hitter?
This is A move..why do you assume this is the last?..its not the first.
They’ll also sign either Bichette or Bregman.
I am not down on this move. Looks like they did not give up too much and now they can move on from 1st and focus on the other needs. Maybe Casas will be a piece toward one of the other needs.
They also need a DH.
Do you follow the Red Sox?
They only need a DH if they keep all their outfielders.
Definitely not mediocre. He gets on base and hits home runs. I am sure he will be licking his chops when he sees the monster. I also believe he is a solid fielder at first. Not a big splash but a solid acquisition.
Colorado – they have managed to replace Bregmans stats from last year. But, less upside than a healthy Bregman. And, that wasn’t enough….
You already wrote that once.
Ghost – youre a real idiot. Some of want to talk about baseball. All you do is denigrate other people. Add something constructive….
Sad you aren’t being constructive either you’re just complaining about what is a solid move.
Might even be a little better than last year. Switching leagues sometimes has that effect
Fenway is a much easier park to hit in than Bush. He will do ok.
They didn’t trade for a first baseman so Casas can sit the bench. He’ll be out of town very soon.
I don’t know what to believe. This is the type of move that from most teams to me would indicate they aren’t done. Whatever they ultimately do about retaining or replacing Bregman, we did also need a competent RH bat and someone who isn’t a disaster at first base. Contreras definitely checks both those boxes.
Now this is where I’m not sure what’s next. If they were serious about keeping pace with the top of the AL and acting like the Red Sox again, more moves would/will be coming.
And yet, the way they’ve been acting the last 7 years, I am terrified this is their “big move” they’re going to be bragging about the rest of the offseason.
Great for Sox. AL east on fire. Surprised more NYY fans aren’t running Cashman out of town. Few GM has ever had more resources
Next trade is going to be Arenado to the Red Sox for whoever is left in their farm system looks like. Just gotta wait it out until he’s the best worst option left on the market?
Pretty easy work when it’s one stop shopping on trades.
Nothing would have to go back if the Sox want Arenado.
Ironically, Arenado probably will be the only one of the Cardinals’ three available veterans the Red Sox will not acquire just one offseason after it appeared that a trade to Boston was exactly what Arenado wanted.
Wow. A 36 Year old Gray and 35 year old Contreras. I know they refuse to do long term deals but banking on players to retire is quote the plan.
Contreras is 33.
Turning 34 for the season
Regardless, 34 isn’t 35.
So you were aware you were wrong and wrote it anyway?
Ghost,
Apparently, players are to be described by the age they will be in the last year of their contract. Ohtani and Judge are both 39.
Miss typed the 4 and 5. Ans edit isn’t an option once it’s posted. Yikes. That’s the big flaw you find. Get a life dude
Contreras is 33.
*33 year old Contreras
Nice acquisition, and it sounds like it was headlined by Dobbins? Nice “pitchability” guy, but not an especially high ceiling.
Wait for the prospects. Boom wants prospects.
I’m expecting RHP Kyson Witherspoon to be included in this deal. Number 3 prospect for Sox. Solid 6’2 righty with upside.
I wish! But Dobbins has already been reported by Passan as the “headliner.” I figure that means even Sandlin isn’t included.
Bummer. Wishful thinking. Sandlin or Witherspoon would’ve been awesome
Fajardo is a hot young talent, though emphasis on “young”. I won’t be surprised id he surpasses Sandlin in a couple years. And you’ll like Dobbins, he’s a gamer.
Witherspoon should be off limits in this deal, but there are other quality arms in the system.
If Dobbins is going back, fine. But, if Witherspoon is going to St Louis, I’m gonna be furious.
He’s not.
RHP’s Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita are the other pitchers involved.
He wasn;t;
Curious who the other prospects will be. Holobetz maybe? I kind of figured the Cardinals would target David Sandlin if they were going to ship Willson to Boston. I like Hayden Mullins too and wouldn’t be upset if he was included, but everyone just passed on him in the Rule V. Not sure how I feel about Dobbins.
Hey didn’t Hunter Dobbins’ dad play for St Louis?
Can we link to something else besides Twitter/X these days? Everyone needs to stop propping up Elon.
junk – He’s got at least 14 kids so far, he doesn’t need propping up from us.
It’s a nice complimentary pick up. You get a veteran, right handed bat. They still haven’t picked up the #2 or big bat they said they were going to get. They are going to push Gray as a #2 and Contreras as a ‘big bat’ but he isn’t going to hit 30+ HRs.
Unless now this opens them up to trading some of the young depth to go get the big pieces they are still chasing Toronto and maybe Baltimore with their improvements in the AL East. Right now the Yankees and Red Sox look like they will be chasing in the #3 spot on paper.
Goose – you hit it right on the head, classic over promise, under performance.
Sox management will say, dont believe youre own eyes, just listen to us, this is a #2 nad a power bat
No, they wont say that.
wow … red sox fans are happy about this? The guy hit .250 with 20 hr’s and 147 k”s …. and makes a ton of money …. not very good for 1B in today’s MLB … They would have been better off keeping their prospects and money and signed O’Hearn to play 1B or kept Casas in there, and looked at making a mover later if he were to falter … …. would have gotten same or more production with O’hearn … typical red sox underwhelming reactionary move … At least they will finish ahead of the Rays in the East, but that’s about it …
They need to Balance the line up and another Lefty bat like O’Hearn wouldn’t help much there…..
Tigersfan- agreed. Why are the Sox constantly going sideways?!?!?!
Sad – Because they said they are on the verge of losing money.
(cue the laughter)
FPG – lol, oh yeah, thats right, I forgot they were losing money
He’s a 120 wRC+ hitter who will pepper the Green Monster. One of the quickest set of hands in the game. Great add. Now they’ll trade Casas for another bullpen arm, and sign Bichette or Bregman to compete the roster. Spectacular.
I like Contreras, was hoping the padres would get him.
Perhaps they trade for Casas now.
I liked Dobbins but you have to give to get.
Good ball player coming over.
I had high hopes for Dobbins. Sad to see him go
hayzee – I remind my wife of that all the time, but when she asked me for Dobbins I had the sense to say no.
Merry Christmas Triston Casas! You’re about to be placed in a package!
Rockies would be a nice landing spot for him. Not sure what the Sox need, but maybe a swap for Adael Amador or Ryan Ritter could help them fill in second base. Both need work, but have potential.
On second thought, he might not be any better than Michael Toglia, who was just cut loose. If the cost is cheap enough, like Amador or one of the middle relievers like Zach Agnos or Luis Peralta, then maybe. But I have a feeling the cost might be more than that. And I just don’t see him as worth it.
I think his bat will be great at Fenway and I think the sox will get a third baseman or a second baseman….They need the bat and im sure if they keep Casas he will get plenty of AB also…..might take some pressure off Casas and help him out…
Dobbins and Yhokier Farjado
I like this trade but I think they should still sign either of Bregman or Bichette, and release Yoshida. It’s not that he’s bad, but there’s no room for him and his contract doesn’t have surplus value. I doubt anybody will trade for him
Gotta give up good ayers to get good players. I thought Dobbins acquitted himself well in Boston this year. Best of luck to him.
Should have signed Okamato for that price-but we are swimming in pitching
Good get for the Red Sox. I was hoping my Padres would strike a deal for him.
So basically a salary dump. Neither of the 3 arms is a prospect, all ranked outside the red sox top15 prospects
Fajardo has helium.
Fajardo is No. 9 at Baseball America.
Spoiled St Louis fan showing up again. You are getting THREE pitchers in exchange for an overpaid hitter approaching the end of his prime. I think it is a fair trade for both sides.
Thanks for posting his 2025 stats. Good move for Boston, Contreras is a gamer
Good for Contreras and the Red Sox. STL and Marmol screwed the pooch when they publicly denounced his ability to play catcher. Contreras took the high road on that topic, always impressed with that. What a mess STL has become and been.
Good pickup for Boston. Perhaps this was their target even before Alonso signed with Baltimore.
Isn’t it time now for Mets fans to start screaming that they didn’t get Contreras?
Contreras’ bWAR has seen a straight-line downtrend since 2021: 4.2-3.8-3.3-3.0-2.5. Injuries and age have piled up. I don’t expect the trend to reverse in his age-34 season. In fact, I think he might have trouble getting 2.0 bWAR in 2026.
At least it’s not a ton of money and the Sox don’t have great alternatives at 1B. But this trade doesn’t move the needle that much.
That’s entirely because of his position switch.
Uh, what? He didn’t switch positions until 2025. Most of the downtrend is just normal aging and the injuries that come with it. The Sox are hoping that the Wall will rejuvenate him. Maybe and maybe not. I’m not sold on trend reversals at age 34. But it’s not an onerous long-term financial commitment.
You might also considering the declining lineup he was in…this red sox team will have much better hitters overall.
He only switched to 1B last season…
He wouldn’t be the first right handed bat to turn it around in Fenway! STEVE PIERCE!!!! He will have a much better lineup around him, the green Monster to aim at and the sox need a mix of veterans to go with their youth. They have one of the youngest teams in baseball. Good pick up from sox and I did like Dobbins, but we have plenty of pitchers similar to him and they cant all play….
2 years of Contreras at $36 million…roughly the same as what the White Sox just spent on Murakami. And the Red Sox only had to give up Dobbins and some pitching depth? I think that’s a win at least on paper right now. Contreras should still have quite a bit left in the tank for the next 2 years. And this still keeps the Red Sox financially available for Bregman or Bichette. An extremely solid move.
I would have loved to see Okamato at 1B, now we need a 2B or 3B
Okamoto could slot in nicely at 3B, and maybe Bichette/Story at SS/2B?
MLB would go under without before East divisions and the Dodgers
St Louis was foolish to not demand Early or Tolle back in return. I’m not sure what that GM was thinking.
You don’t get Early or Tolle for Contreras. I like the trade as is. Contreras is a 1B now–those who are flogging the “backup C” have missed the point. Casas will spend most of the year in AAA (barring emergency) because he needs to show that he can hit and that he can stay healthy over a whole season. He has zero trade value this offseason.
Would NOT have gotten either but I’m sure they asked
This just in; sports wouldn’t survive without the biggest markets participating. Analysts are stumped
Nice trade for both sides I think, I like it.
Again….good doing business with you, Red Sox fans. Thanks for Fajardo….to me, that’s the prize.
I hope he’s healthy.
I liked Willson, fiery attitude, and the bat (when healthy) is better than good.
Fajardo is healthy as far as I know… You got a good one there. You’ll also like Dobbins, even if he has a lower ceiling.
Is Dobbins’ knee fully recovered? Was it an ACL tear this summer?
Dobbins is supposed to be ready for ST. Might have a slow ramp up though, I would be thinking 120 innings not 180.
and he’s probably insurance for our Question Mark rotation….no one knows what May will actually be able to give us.
It’s a rebuild, so I’m not grading any MLB players we get in return from trades. If they produce, then that’s a cherry on top.
He’s been pitching off a mound and last I knew was set to start throwing simulated games
Thanks for the info, Mainesox and Waittil2026
I’m surprised that you got him AND a starting pitcher
What’s everyone think the starting lineup for the Cardinals will be?
Good pickup for the Sox, good for Dobbins too. He will actually get 30 starts there. In Boston that would be very difficult. However this means another trade has to be coming. Casas does not have a spot anymore, romy does what he does better. And we still have too many Outfielders. Will be interesting to see what happens now. This does clear the path to sign Bichette or Bregman. That will be the only ML FA they sign. Quite sad that them and the Rockies are the only ones who have yet to do so
Casas can do spot starts and if he hits he can get traded
Good player, but might be on the decline. He was a tough own in fantasy last year for me. Either way it’s a worthwhile trade I’d say.
They could of had Okamato for that price with no loss of arms
ST. Louis did him so dirty. I hate this.
I wonder if they will sign Bregman or Bo now? Bregman at 3rd with Mayer at 2nd. Or Bo at 2nd or 3rd with Mayer. A still could move Casas and others for another player. I guess time will tell.
How many games until he starts a bench clearing brawl with the Yankees? That dude has some anger issues.
Good power. Willson will like hitting in Fenway
The pitching prospects must be upset, since the Cardinals seem to ruin every pitching prospect they get. Terrible development for pitchers
Welcome to 2025, Mozeliak is not GM anymore.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
This is very John Henry. Don’t go after the best free agent 1B, trade into a cheaper more team friendly situation. And as much as I still fume over the Devers BS, I can respect him for going back to his bread and butter.
Contreras is the ideal guy to fill and fit snugly for their next WS team. Hope it all works well!
The money coming with Contreras from the Cardinals makes this worth it. Dobbins seemed like a good thing, and he should have good success in St.Louis. As for the younger additions, I suspect Fajardo may be something to keep an eye on next year.
WILLSON!!!!
When the cardinals pitching still sucks they can’t blame Contreras.
He hasn’t played C since 2024…
No idea how he will do next 2 years. Hard to predict for regular players but catcher even harder on body. Contract is fair. They didn’t give up any good prospects. Good to dump salary for cards. Seems like a win win.
He’s done catching. 1B/DH.
Good luck to Contreras in beantown. Dude was a great teammate and very solid player.
Now sign Okamoto or Bichette and let Bregman walk.
Just a great fit
So far,they have made trades but shied away from FA signings……Hmm
Sox: B+
Cards: A-
Breslow is cooking with gas now and he didn’t give up much to get Contreras.
A #2 starter. A #4 starter. A very good hitting and fielding 1B.
Still need a 3B but the 3 best options on the FA market are still unsigned. Lots of depth in the rotation. Could probably use another setup man.
Casas will be moved soon. Maybe for a reliever.
Red Sox fans have got to feel good about the direction they are moving this offseason.
I’m not so sure on Casas being moved, even if the Sox plan on keeping him and think he’ll be ready for opening day, starting him at DH is probably best for his knee and his overall health. I think it’s as likely that Yoshida gets moved as Casas.
I’d say Boston got off light only giving up Dobbins. That’s one less starting RH depth piece, but they’re still holding the strong LHs (Early, Tolle, Harrison). Will be interesting to see how much $$ StL is throwing in.
And there’s still this outfield depth to deal from. I think there’s at least one more big move coming. I don’t see them laying out for Bichette or Bregman, but something creatively cheap could be had.
I hope they lay out for Bichette. He fits the timeline well and is willing to play 2B.
Good deal for the Sox, bad deal for Bloom. Three pitchers who don’t miss bats. But could develop I suppose.
I’d have held out for one of the lesser excess OFs or Casas as part of the deal, but he’s been ordered to cut payroll to the bone.