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The Red Sox are one of the most active teams on the trade market this offseason and struck again Sunday night, acquiring Willson Contreras from the Cardinals in exchange for righthanded pitchers Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita.
Contreras hit .257/.344/.447 wiht 20 home runs in 2025 and is entering the final two years of a five-year, $87.5 million contract he signed prior to 2023. As part of the deal, the Cardinals are sending $8 million in cash to Boston, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Sunday’s deal marks the second trade between the two clubs over the last month as the Red Sox position themselves to contend in the AL East in 2026 while the Cardinals continue to bolster one of baseball’s best farm systems under Chaim Bloom. In November, St. Louis sent RHP Sonny Gray to Boston in exchange for LHP Brandon Clarke, who now ranks sixth in the Cardinals system, and also RHP Richard Fitts.
RED SOX RECEIVE
Willson Contreras, 1B
Age: 33
Over the last 10 seasons, few catchers have hit as well as Contreras. He’s a career .258/.352/.459 hitter, but moved off catcher last season and instead played 120 games at first base. Contreras is a righthanded bat with power and on-base ability.His walk rates were down quite a bit in 2025, but he hit 20 home runs for the sixth time in his career. It’s unclear whether
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