Red Sox, Cardinals Trade Speculation Gets Boost from Boston Insider

Acquiring a big right-handed bat is an obvious priority for the Boston Red Sox this winter, and that could lead to a trade with an increasingly familiar partner.

The Red Sox have made two trades with the St. Louis Cardinals since July, and their biggest move of the offseason so far was acquiring former Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray, a three-time All-Star. It's obvious that the Cardinals are undertaking a rebuild at this point, which means they have more veterans to unload if the Red Sox want back in on the action.

Between second baseman Brendan Donovan and first baseman Willson Contreras, both of whom the Red Sox have reportedly checked in on, it's fairly clear which potential move is the better fit.

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Red Sox should continue pursuing Contreras trade

In a recent article, Red Sox insider Ian Browne of MLB.com came down strongly in favor of Contreras as a Boston trade target, and of all the right-handed power bats currently under contract, Browne's endorsement makes a strong case for the 10-year veteran as the best option for Boston.

"Contreras would be a nice right-handed bat to have at a modest cost for a hitter of his caliber ($18 million in 2026, $18.5 million in '27 and a $17.5 million club option in '28)," Browne wrote. "Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom knows the inventory of the Red Sox better than most.

"Would he want a couple of the prospects he drafted? We already saw this in July with Blaze Jordan. Would he want a Major League player who performed well when he was running Boston's front office? (Triston Casas fits that bill)."

Contreras has consistently been an .800 OPS bat throughout his career, and there's reason to believe that his numbers might improve at Fenway Park. He also graded out as a plus defender at first base this year after spending the first nine years of his career as a catcher.

The longer the winter wears on, the more it seems the Red Sox are hesitant to commit big money to free agents. Contreras' contract isn't small by any means, but the Cardinals ate some of the money on Gray's deal to get better prospects back, and even if they won't do so again, Contreras' deal is relatively easy to stomach in comparison to what free agents are signing for this winter.

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