Red Sox Acquire Willson Contreras from Cardinals: What to Make of Trade

He’ll get jammed late on velocity, even though it’ll sometimes work in his favor.

Additionally, Contreras doesn’t walk a ton. However, Contreras does get on base often, as he gets plunked often.

Contreras also finished third in hit by pitches (23) last season, behind only Caleb Durbin and Randy Arozarena for the league lead. Over the last seven full seasons, dating back to 2019, Contreras accumulated at least 10 of those every year.

The 33-year-old has two more seasons left on his deal. Plus, a $17.5MM team option for 2028, which includes a $5MM buyout.

The Cardinals’ Return

• SP Hunter Dobbins (4.13 ERA, 45 K, 17 BB over 61 IP (MLB))
• SP Yhoiker Fajardo (2.25 ERA, 83 K, 27 BB over 72 IP (FCL and A))
• SP Blake Aita (3.98 ERA, 99 K, 30 BB over 115 IP (A+ and A))

Hunter Dobbins had his rookie season end prematurely in July, as the right-hander tore his ACL in the summer.

The 26-year-old did well before the injury, as he was able to limit well-hit contact (6.1% Barrel%) and induce a lot of ground balls before the injury. Dobbins works with a lot of pitches, including a mid-90s fastball, curveball, slider, sweeper, and occasional splitter.

Dobbins averaged almost a strikeout per inning (120 over 125.2 IP) in 2024 as a Minor Leaguer. However, he rated well-below-average in whiffs and strikeouts while in Boston.

The two Minor League pitchers involved in this deal are both A-ball pitchers. Yhoiker Fajardo is an 18-year-old who split his year between the FCL and Low-A Salem, while Blake Aita is a 22-year-old who worked between High-A Greenville and Salem. Aita was a sixth-rounder in 2024 out of Kennesaw State University.

Since both pitched in the Carolina League at one point, it’s probably a good idea to go over how each did. Fajardo did tremendously well, as he posted a 2.98 ERA and posted the 15th-best Whiff% (35.5%) in the circuit this season.

Aita, meanwhile, posted a strong 1.6 BB/9 in Salem. His walk rate ticked up slightly (2.9 BB/9) in High-A. Aita’s Whiff% rate in the Carolina League was lower, a 25.1% Whiff% that ranked among the bottom-50.

Good pitch mix on Fajardo. He’ll work with a low-80s slider that induced whiffs and chases in Low-A, as well as a changeup that sat in the high-80s.

Additionally, the 18-year-old was throwing a mid-90s fastball.

As for Aita, he wasn’t a big strikeout pitcher in the lower Minors. However, despite having a sub 1.00 overall GO/AO rate, he had a high 48.6% GB% in the Carolina League. Two-seamer that will run into the 92-93 MPH range, coupled with a changeup and breaking ball.

Analysis

It’s the second notable trade that the Red Sox and Cardinals have made over the last few weeks. Late in November, the Cardinals sent pitcher Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox.

For the Cardinals, this is yet another opportunity for the team to continue a hard reset. St. Louis has been looking to get younger and accumulate more assets. Aside from Dobbins, the Cardinals get a high-upside 18-year-old in Fajardo, as well as Aita, and get salary relief by moving Contreras’ contract off.

The Red Sox dipped into their low-level MiLB pool of pitchers, dealing another good arm after trading away Jesus Travieso to get Johan Oviedo. However, you have to give up something to get something.

Contreras has a chance to do very well in Boston. He’s a right-handed hitter who, while not a pull-heavy hitter, will pull it often and hit for power. If the Red Sox don’t bring Alex Bregman back, Contreras would slide in as another power-hitting righty to go alongside Trevor Story and Ceddane Rafaela.

Another question that has to be asked after this trade: what becomes of Triston Casas?