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The MLB Winter Meetings concluded earlier this week, and the Red Sox walked away without addressing their main focus, a middle-of-the-order bat. There are still plenty of free agents left to be signed, headlined by Kyle Tucker, but Craig Breslow may have to turn to the trade market to land someone who can slot into that role. While pure power hitters can be hard to trade for, swinging a deal with a team looking to shed salary is likely the path that can lead to some interesting trade partners.
I’ve already discussed why the Red Sox and Cardinals should make a trade for Brendan Donovan, but there’s another Red Bird infielder who arguably makes even more sense for the Sox. Willson Contreras would solve the first base dilemma in Boston and slot into the middle of the lineup as another 20+ home run threat. In 2025, Contreras slashed .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs, and five stolen bases. He posted an fWAR of 2.8 and a 124 wRC+. The bulk of his home runs came on the road, but Busch Stadium is a pitcher’s dream park. If we overlay his home spray chart over Fenway Park, we can add six more home runs and quite a few Green Monster wall balls to his stats. He’s a pull-happy right-handed hitter, and the team is lacking that exact profile in the lineup. He is a bit strikeout-happy and doesn’t walk much (25.2 K% vs. 7.8 BB%), but he can swing it, and that plays well in Boston.
Defensively, Contreras is a plus defender at first base. He has years of experience at catcher, and could slide behind the dish in a pinch, but he thrived in his first full year at first base in 2025, posting an incredible +6 Outs Above Average. Typically, first base is a position where you hope someone can pick it and move on, but Contreras actually offers range and stability there. Scorchers down the line don’t intimidate him, and he’s got a quick enough first move to be able to get a glove on most of what gets hit his way. Adding a player like Contreras doesn’t necessarily spell the end for someone like Triston Casas, but it allows him to start the season at Triple-A Worcester to get his feet back under him. Once Casas is ready, he could even be called up to split time at first and DH with Contreras to give both guys a regular break from playing the field.
Adding a player like Willson Contreras would help to calm the waters with fans after a quiet few days at the Winter Meetings. People tend to forget that while those meetings attract a ton of media coverage, many deals get done afterward from the productive conversations that start during the meetings. Craig Breslow and company are still trying to improve the major league roster, and adding Contreras would go a long way towards doing that. Maybe make it a package deal for him and Donovan? Two Red Birds, one stone.