The Boston Red Sox have reportedly traded for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras. Headed back to the Cardinals in the deal are three right-handers: Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Red Sox sending RHP Hunter Dobbins, RHP Yhoiker Fajardo and RHP Blake Aita to Cardinals in deal for Willson Contreras, source tells @TheAthletic— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 22, 2025 Contreras, 33, delivered a solid performance last season with the Cardinals, transitioning primarily to first base amid team needs. He appeared in 135 games, batting .257 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI, while posting a .791 OPS and contributing 70 runs scored. His power remained consistent, marking his fourth straight year with at least 15 homers, though injuries limited some defensive play. The Cardinals missed the playoffs again, but Contreras provided steady offense in a rebuilding lineup. Over his decade-long career, Contreras has established himself as a durable force, amassing a .258 average, 172 home runs, and 548 RBI across 1,078 games. Debuting with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, he helped secure a World Series title that year and earned three All-Star nods during his seven seasons there. Story continues below advertisement Signing with St. Louis in 2023 brought new challenges, including adapting to catcher and first base roles. Red Sox fans are already imagining what Boston’s new lineup would look like if the season started today. Projected lineup?Anthony LFStory SSAbreu RFContreras 1BMayer 3BRafaela CFYoshida DHGonzález 2BNarváez CDefinitely need more.— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) December 22, 2025 Of course, the season is still months away, and Boston is still reportedly pursuing a potential deal to re-unite with third baseman Alex Bregman, which would impact the Red Sox’s offense substantially. Story continues below advertisement