Red Sox’s Willson Contreras Comes With ‘Warning Signs’ After Cardinals Trade

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made sure fans received a gift this holiday season by trading for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras.

While the slugger’s arrival helps Red Sox Nation forget about failed bids for Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso, Contreras isn’t exactly a perfect fit.

“Contreras feels like a safe bet, but there are some warning signs here,” ESPN’s David Schoenfield writes. “He’s entering his age-34 season, in that danger zone, and he’s coming off a career-low 7.8% walk rate while also seeing his strikeout rate increase the past two seasons.

“But the bat speed (95th percentile) and hard-hit rate (83rd percentile) remain strong, so though he shouldn’t fall off a cliff, his best days are probably behind him,” Schoenfield adds. “The MLB average OPS at first base was .755 and Contreras’ OPS in 2025 was .791, so maybe he remains slightly above average for the position, at least in 2026.”

Breslow sent three pitchers to the Cardinals, including right-hander Hunter Dobbins, in exchanger for Contreras. Schoenfield graded the deal for both clubs and gave each team a B, noting the Red Sox added a “solid hitter” who will be their first baseman for next two seasons.

However Schoenfield says more roster moves are on the horizon, noting the Contreras deal “probably” put Triston Casas on the trade block.

“It will be interesting to see what the Red Sox also do with Romy Gonzalez, who crushed lefties in 2025 while ranking fifth in the majors in hard-hit rate,” Schoenfield reports. “He can play second base, although he has limited range there, so he probably fits best as a platoon DH while filling in at various infield positions.

“This probably still leaves the Red Sox searching for a third baseman — Alex Bregman? — or maybe a second baseman, with Marcelo Mayer likely to start at one of the two positions,” Schoenfield concludes.

While Contreras does have some pop in his bat (at least 20 home runs in four of the last five seasons), the Red Sox need more power in their lineup. Signing Bregman would certainly take care of that.

If Boston whiffs on Bregman, it’s possible Breslow makes another deal (Ketel Marte? Brendan Donovan?) or scours the free-agent market (Eugenio Suarez).