Cardinals’ Willson Contreras traded to Red Sox as Boston adds right-handed power

The Boston Red Sox have been searching for a right-handed power bat for weeks. On Sunday night, they finally found one.

Boston acquired Willson Contreras, along with $8 million in cash, from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for right-handed pitchers Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita.

St. Louis will cover $8 million of the remaining $41.5 million owed to Contreras, whose contract runs through 2027 and includes a $5 million club option for 2028. He is owed $18 million in 2026 and $17 million in 2027. The 2028 option—valued at $20 million—now carries a $7.5 million buyout, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that Contreras will also receive a $1 million bonus as a sweetener for waiving his no-trade clause.

The move addresses Boston’s long-standing need for a right-handed bat capable of anchoring first base. The Red Sox had been linked to Pete Alonso, but their offer fell short. Alonso ultimately signed with the Baltimore Orioles on a five-year, $155 million deal.

Contreras isn’t Alonso, nor does he offer the left-handed thunder of Kyle Schwarber. But the profile Boston acquired is more substantial than the surface framing might suggest.

Over the past two seasons, Contreras has posted a .358 on-base percentage, .354 wOBA, and a 130 wRC+, placing him in the same offensive neighborhood as Fernando Tatís Jr., Christian Yelich, George Springer, and catcher Will Smith. His .196 isolated power reinforces that the pop is real, while a .361 xwOBA suggests the production is supported by contact quality—not noise.

While Contreras may not headline offseason billboards, he brings exactly what Boston lacked: a right-handed bat that consistently gets on base, hits for power, and sustains run creation without needing protection or platooning.

He will also step in as Boston’s starting first baseman, giving the club stability at the position for the first time in years. A catcher for most of his career, Contreras transitioned to first base last season and appeared in 120 games, posting six Outs Above Average—tied for the fourth-highest mark among all MLB first basemen.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow declined to commit to Triston Casas as the starting first baseman entering the season, as Casas continues to recover from a ruptured patellar tendon suffered in May. With Contreras now in place, Boston can afford to