Willson Contreras Trade Brings Cardinals Two Key Prospects to Know

The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly will be adding three more pitchers to the organization's arsenal once the team's reported agreement on a trade with the Boston Red Sox for Willson Contreras becomes official.

Adding pitching has been the story of the offseason so far for the Cardinals. In the Cardinals' first trade with Boston involving Sonny Gray, the Cardinals got Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke. Then, the Cardinals followed up by signing Dustin May in free agency. Now, the Cardinals and Red Sox are in agreement on another trade that will bring three hurlers to St. Louis: Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita.

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Of the three, Dobbins is the one fans most likely have heard about. He pitched in the majors for Boston last season as a rookie. Fajardo and Aita, on the other hand, are prospects fans may not have heard about yet.

The Cardinals added two more intriguing prospects

May 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Boston Red Sox hat during warmups prior the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

So, let's dive in on the prospects.

Yhoiker Fajardo
Fajardo is just 19 years old and has 32 professional games of experience under his belt and a 2.93 overall ERA. He made 13 starts for the Chicago White Sox's Dominican Summer League Team in 2024 and had a 3.91 ERA. In 2025, he appeared in 19 games -- including 17 starts -- in the Red Sox's system and had a 2.25 ERA. He made stops at the Rookie-Level and Class-A.

Fajardo quickly has become the Cardinals' No. 9 prospect, per MLB.com.

"Fajardo continually has added strength and velocity since turning pro, and he now works at 93-95 mph while touching 96 with his two-seam fastball and 97 with his four-seamer," per his MLB.com scouting report. "He has a tight slider that ranges from 82-85 mph, and Boston is working with him on adding a sweepier version as well. He also has picked up an upper-80s kick-changeup very quickly, giving him the potential for at least solid offerings across the board.

"More advanced than most (19-year-old pitchers), Fajardo needed just six outings before earning a promotion to Single-A in 2025. He has thrown strikes throughout his pro career and commands his fastball well. He’s a potential mid-rotation starter and will be given plenty of runway to reach that ceiling in what is now his third system."

Blake Aita
Aita is 22 years old and was a sixth-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2024 MLB Draft. He made his professional debut in 2025 and had stints in Class-A and High-A in the Red Sox farm system. Overall, he had a 3.98 ERA and a 99-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 115 1/3 innings pitched.

Of the two, Fajardo will get more of the buzz, but Aita is another guy fans can get excited about. He's a bit older and likely could be an option for the organization sooner, but both of these guys have upside and are two more lottery tickets for the organization. The Cardinals have wanted pitching and so far this offseason have gotten three guys with big league experience (May, Fitts, and Dobbins) as well as three prospects (Clarke, Fajardo, and Aita).

More MLB: Cardinals Next Steps After Cutting Ties With Willson Contreras