Red Sox acquire Willson Contreras in trade with Cardinals

The Boston Red Sox were looking to fill their hole at first base. Their second trade of the offseason with the St. Louis Cardinals has provided an answer.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Red Sox have acquired first baseman Willson Contreras. In exchange, pitchers Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita are heading to St. Louis. The Cardinals are also including $8 million towards the $44 million Contreras is due over the next two years.

The Red Sox had previously acquired pitcher Sonny Gray from the Cardinals as they sought a second top-of-the-rotation starter to slot behind Garrett Crochet. Contreras will also fill a glaring weakness at first, as Red Sox first basemen were mediocre at best, ranking 22nd in the majors with 16 homers and a .691 OPS.

Willson Contreras gives Boston Red Sox needed impact bat at first base

Contreras should help change that narrative. He produced a solid .257/.344/.447 batting line over 563 plate appearances in 2025, hitting 20 homers and 31 doubles. Contreras has six seasons with 20 or more homers and should make an impact in the middle of the Red Sox lineup.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, received a trio of pitchers who could make an impact going forward. Dobbins fared reasonably well during his rookie season in 2025, posting a 4.13 ERA and a 1.279 WHiP over his 61 innings, striking out 45 batters with 17 walks. He should be a solid back-of-the-rotation pitcher in St. Louis.

Fajardo had been ranked as the Red Sox's 23rd-best prospect per MLB.com. He has a three-pitch mix with a pair of mid 90s fastballs - a four-seamer and a sinking two-seamer, a tight slider and a kick change. All three pitches have the potential to be plus offerings as he develops. The 19-year-old made his debut stateside in 2025, posting a 2.25 ERA and a 1.097 WHiP over 72 innings between the Florida Complex League and A-ball, striking out 83 batters with 27 walks. He is considered advanced for his age and capable of throwing all three of his pitches for strikes, making him a possible middle-of-the-rotation starter.

A sixth-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, Aita made his professional debut this past season. He performed well across A-ball and High-A, posting a 3.98 ERA and a 1.049 WHiP over his 115.1 innings, striking out 99 batters with 30 walks. Aita has an interesting arsenal with a mid 90s fastball, a plus sweeper, an upper 80s cutter and a changeup that flashes plus, all of which are thrown with a high spin rate. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and his secondary offerings are considered to be ahead of his fastball. However, Aita has the type of ceiling that could result in a middle-of-the-rotation starter, especially if he can add another couple of miles per hour to his fastball.