Inside The Cardinals

Chaim Bloom Explains Cardinals, Red Sox Willson Contreras Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals made another deal with the Boston Red Sox...
Patrick McAvoy|
Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals have two high-profile trades under their belt already this offseason after cutting ties with Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras.

St. Louis officially announced that Contreras has been traded to the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon and afterward, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom shared a statement on the deal, as transcribed by MLB.com's John Denton.

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"With this trade, we continue to bring young talent to the Cardinals to help us both in 2026 and for years to come," Bloom said, as transcribed by Denton. "The ability and competitiveness that Hunter Dobbins possesses has already given him a taste of big league success, and we are excited for him to join the other young arms on our 40-man roster. We’re also eager to welcome Blake Aita and Yhoiker Fajardo, who have both gotten their (MILB) careers off to impressive starts. Each has the upside to impact the game at the highest level, and we look forward to supporting them as they move forward in their development."

The Cardinals announced the move

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras
Sep 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) draws a walk against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The trade rumors around the team have been endless over the last year. Bloom has turned that chatter into real, concrete moves that can help the club in 2025, as well as beyond. Dobbins is a guy who had a 4.13 ERA as a rookie in 13 appearances last year -- including 11 starts. He boasts a blistering fastball and also gets batters to hit the ball on the ground at a high clip.

Yhoiker Fajardo is the most intriguing of the two prospects and already is ranked as the Cardinals' No. 9 overall prospect. Aita is another starting pitcher prospect with upside. St. Louis is picking up as many starting pitcher lottery tickets as possible as it tries to rebuild this starting rotation.

Willson Contreras was a great member of the organization. He added some pop to the lineup and came over to the organization when it needed a big-name replacement for Yadier Molina. Now, he goes over to a 2026 contender and the Cardinals stockpile more arms. A win-win.

More MLB: Cardinals Trio On Trade Block After Willson Contreras Swap

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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