Red Sox Acquire Willson Contreras in Offseason Trade With Cardinals

Karl Rasmussen | 2 Minutes Ago

Cardinals agreed to trade first baseman Willson Contreras to the Red Sox / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Red Sox and Cardinals agreed to a trade Monday night that will send Willson Contreras to Boston, according to a report from ESPN’s MLB insider Jeff Passan.

In exchange for the veteran first baseman, Passan reports St. Louis will acquire young right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins, who appeared in 13 games for the Red Sox last season. Additionally, the Cardinals are receiving Dobbins, RHP Yhoiker Fajardo and RHP Blake Aita from Boston. They’re also sending the Red Sox $8 million in cash to cover part of Contreras’s salary.

Contreras is under contract through the 2027 season and has a player option in 2028. He’s due $19 million in 2026.

Contreras is entering his 11th MLB season and he’s played his entire career in the NL Central. He played the first seven years of his career with the Cubs before spending the last three seasons in St. Louis. Last season, the 33-year-old had a .791 OPS with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs. He’s hit 20-plus homers in five of the last six seasons, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign.

Dobbins, 26, had a 4.13 ERA in his first year in MLB. The former eighth-round pick made 11 starts and struck out 45 batters in 61 innings. Now, he’ll look to compete for a spot in the Cardinals’ pitching rotation, which currently figures to consist of Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore, Kyle Leahy and fellow former Red Sox pitcher, Richard Fitts.

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