Red Sox Reportedly Swing Huge Trade For Three-Time All-Star

The Boston Red Sox made some noise on Sunday.

Boston is acquiring first baseman Willson Contreras in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Contreras will waive his no trade clause in order to push things through, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

St. Louis will receive right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo right-handed pitcher and right-handed pitcher Blake Aita in the deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Fajardo (No. 8) and Aita (No. 36) are ranked favorably by the good folks at SoxProspects.

Contreras, 33, recently underwent the transition from catcher to first base, where he played 120 games and slashed .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs in 2025. The Red Sox likely will choose to keep him at first base, adding someone with four consecutive seasons of an OPS+ above 120 to help bring some stability in the place of incumbents Triston Casas, Romy Gonzalez and Nathaniel Lowe.

Contreras is under contract through 2027 — and will be paid $18 million in 2026 and $18.5 million in 2027, while there remains a club option worth $17.5 million for 2028. The Cardinals are expected to send $8 million in order to cover some of the remaining money left on his deal, per ESPN.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom have now completed two trades with offseason, with this deal piggybacking the Sonny Gray trade from November.