The Boston Red Sox have a lot of possible trade candidates that might just be sold off this upcoming deadline. There are players like Jarren Duran, Sonny Gray, Masataka Yoshida, Greg Weissert, Danny Coulombe, Garrett Whitlock, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Patrick Sandoval, and even Trevor Story who are rumored to be shipped off to pastures unknown.
However, there is one that is also on this list, and that's their first baseman, Willson Contreras. Contreras has been a revelation this season, hitting a slash line of .295/.389/.556/.945 and hitting 16 home runs so far this season. That's beyond impressive, given that many were worried that he was going to decline while entering his age-34 season.
He had previously signed a five-year, $87 million contract with the Cardinals back in the 2022-2023 offseason, with a club option for a sixth season. He was traded last offseason to the Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitchers Hunter Dobbins, Blake Aita, and top 30 prospect Yhoiker Fajardo.
No matter what happens at the deadline, Contreras should NOT be traded. He's one of their only key contributors in what has been nothing short of a disastrous season for Boston. He, alongside Gray, Duran, Chapman, and Ceddanne Rafaela, is one of the few members of the team who are performing to their standards.
Trading Willson Contreras forces the Red Sox into a 1B problem
There's also uncertainty at the first base position if they get rid of Contreras. Their previous first baseman, Triston Casas, who was going to be the probable 1B/DH alternate with Contreras and Duran, had a setback with his 2023 rib injury this April and has not touched a bat since. It's like creating another hole, but in a different spot.
They should, at most, listen to calls for him. In fact, sources tell me that they are already listening to offers for him anyway, but he also has a no-trade clause in his contract. Unless the Red Sox get an offer that they can't refuse, it's not ideal that he should or will be traded.
We'll never know what will happen with Casas, but we do know what's happening with Contreras, and it seems likely that he will be staying in Boston, regardless of the rumors. His value is sky-high, yes, but that doesn't mean that every player who has should be traded. In fact, it has to be the right ones, and knowing CBO Craig Breslow, nothing will seemingly be the right fit.
Breslow is very picky about how his offers are, and he will be evaluating them alongside ownership, mainly John Henry, Sam Kennedy, and probably even Theo Epstein, who mentored Breslow in the first place.
Ownership is willing to pivot into selling mode, but even if they do, their revelation of a first baseman will most likely be staying put.
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