The St. Louis Cardinals finished 78-84 this year and missed the postseason for the third consecutive year. Now, they start a crucial offseason that will include some trades.
Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado are the three most obvious trade candidates, though there could be even more moves on the trade front that involve other players.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed several impact hitters the Boston Red Sox could target via trade and free agency. On the list was Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras, who has two years left on his contract with St. Louis heading into 2026.
Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the Cardinals prior to the 2023 season. He was signed to replace Yadier Molina as their starting catcher, but they chose to move him to first base for 2025, and the experiment worked out pretty well.
Cardinals Should Keep Contreras, But Red Sox Make Sense
Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) hits a RBI single against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
His defense improved and he remained a consistent force at the plate, hitting .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI, 2.5 Wins Above Replacement and a .791 OPS.
It is important to remember that Contreras has expressed a desire to remain in St. Louis, though he didn’t completely shut down the idea if the opportunity was right.
The Red Sox make sense as a potential suitor though. Triston Casas hasn’t quite turned into the player they were hoping he would, and he also missed most of the 2025 season due to injuries.
So, the Red Sox may be shopping for a first baseman as a result, and the two teams would be good trade partners. Chaim Bloom knows the Red Sox farm system well and could get a good return for the Cardinals.
However, it’s probably best that St. Louis retains Contreras rather than try to trade him. They need a proven power bat in their lineup, even in a rebuild, and it would be smart to have him around as a veteran presence and mentor for the younger players.
Contreras brings a lot of passion and competitive fire to the Cardinals, and that would be hard to replace if he were to be traded.
Again, the 33-year-old wants to remain in St. Louis, so a trade to the Red Sox is unlikely anyway. But it will be interesting to see how Bloom operates this offseason and what other players might be traded.
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