boston red sox first baseman received wilson contreras in business with St. Louis Cardinals on sunday, Second big deal between the teams The Cardinals are rebuilding this winter and the Red Sox aim to remain competitive in the tough American League East division, sources told ESPN.
Contreras, 33, has been one of the most steady right-handers in baseball since his debut and will bring his above-average glove to the position Boston spent the offseason trying to fill. The Red Sox will receive $8 million to cover the remaining $42.5 million on the three-time All-Star’s contract and will send the right-hander hunter dobbins Yoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita are right-handed pitching prospects for the Cardinals, sources said.
While the Cardinals did not intend to trade Contreras this winter, the opportunity to land a major league-ready starter in Dobbins helped facilitate a deal that later came to fruition. sonny gray Waived his no-trade clause to move from St. Louis to Boston in late November. Contreras also waived his no-trade clause after receiving an additional million dollars guaranteed through renegotiation of his contract, sources said.
The revised contract will pay Contreras $18 million in 2026 and $17 million in 2027, with a $20 million option in 2028 that now includes a $7.5 million buyout. (Earlier, the deal had paid him $18 million in ’26, $18.5 million in ’27, with a $17.5 million option and a $5 million buyout.) Boston had previously sought a right-handed bat to play first base and missed out on a bid for free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, who signed with division rival Baltimore.
Although Contreras doesn’t have Alonso’s power, he has been a tremendously steady hitter since debuting as a catcher. chicago cubs In 2016. Over his 10-year career, Contreras has hit .258/.352/.459, and last year, after being shifted to first base full-time, he hit .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI.
To get Contreras, the Red Sox dipped into their deep well of starting pitching, sending the 26-year-old Dobbins, who figures to earn a spot in St. Louis’ rotation when he returns from the July ACL tear that ended his first season. Before the injury suffered while covering first base, Dobbins was 4–1 with a 4.13 ERA in 13 outings, allowing only six home runs and striking out 45 against 17 walks in 61 innings.
The 19-year-old Fajardo, who was traded to the Red Sox a year ago today, posted a 2.25 ERA in 72 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem this year. A $400,000 signing out of Venezuela, he swings his fastball up to 97 mph and complements it with a changeup and slider.
Aita, 22, was a sixth-round pick out of Kennesaw State in 2024 and finished this year in High-A. Featuring a mid-90s fastball, Aita struck out 99 and walked 30 with a 3.98 ERA in 115.1 innings across two levels.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers contributed to this report.
