Fallout From Cardinals, Red Sox Willson Contreras Blockbuster

The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly have swung their second blockbuster trade of the offseason so far and both have been with the Boston Red Sox.

On Sunday night, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Cardinals and Red Sox are in agreement on a trade that will send Willson Contreras to Boston.

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"Breaking: The Boston Red Sox are acquiring first baseman Willson Contreras in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, sources tell ESPN," Passan wrote.

The Cardinals made another move

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) celebrates after hitting a RBI single against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

This is the second big trade of the offseason between Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and his former team, over in Boston. The first one sent Sonny Gray out of town for Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke.

Now, the catcher-turned-first-baseman is joining the Red Sox as well.

Instant takeaways:

Another big-time trade

What a breath of fresh air Bloom is, huh? He took over the organization this offseason and has talked about how the team is going to be aggressive and look for trades. Two different big-time trades with one organization? That's rare but the Cardinals aren't messing around. Bloom said on Sunday that the team is looking around and that he was hoping to get a deal done before the holidays wrapped up. A few hours later, it seems as though he has done what he said.

Saving cash

This is yet another good long-term decision for the franchise. Contreras is great. He's one of the better right-handed hitters in the league, in fact. Plus, he developed into a solid defensive first baseman in 2025. But he has two more years left on his five-year, $87.5 million deal, plus a 2028 club option. As of writing, the return hasn't been announced, but getting another massive deal off the books is good for the long-term future of the organization.

Next steps for Cardinals

With Contreras gone, that opens up first base, potentially for Alec Burleson. If he becomes a consistent option at first base, then there will be more playing time to go around at designated hitter and the corner outfield spots. That's positive in itself. Plus, the drop-off shouldn't be much from Contreras to Burleson.

Gray and Contreras are gone. Next up should be Nolan Arenado and potentially JoJo Romero.

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