‘Not that guy that has ego’

Willson Contreras has a piece of advice for Red Sox opponents:

Run at your own risk.

“If you’re going to try to steal, you have to get a good jump, because he has a really good arm,” Contreras said with a chuckle. He put extra emphasis on ‘have.’

The ‘he’ in question is catcher Carlos Narváez.

Contreras gushed about his new Red Sox teammate on Wednesday morning, when he spoke to the Boston media for the first time since being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals last month.

“He’s really fast behind the plate,” Contreras, a catcher for the first nine of his 10 MLB seasons, said of Narváez. “He’s really smart. Watching him catching, the way he calls the game and the way interacts with the pitching staff, is really impressive.”

The Red Sox acquired Narváez from the New York Yankees at last offseason’s MLB Winter Meetings. His rookie season was equal parts whirlwind and breakout; after making the team out of spring training, he stepped into the everyday role when fellow catcher Connor Wong suffered a left pinky fracture on April 7.

By the time Wong returned on May 2, Narváez had proven himself too integral on both sides of the ball to return to a backup role. Wong caught 54 games after coming off the injured list; Narváez caught 108.

“It seems like he was waiting for this opportunity to show up to his door, and he took advantage of it,” Contreras said. “I think we all are excited for having Carlos Narváez behind the plate.”

Narváez and Contreras both hail from Venezuela. They have been texting since they became teammates, Narváez said during Saturday’s Fenway Fest, where he spoke about how excited he is to play with Contreras.

“That’s a guy I’ve been seeing since the World Series back then in ‘16,” Narváez said of Contreras, who as a rookie helped the Chicago Cubs end their 108-year championship drought. “I know he’s gonna contribute (in a) big way for us. That’s a bat that we needed.”

Contreras agreed to waive his no-trade clause for the Red Sox, who sent the Cardinals cash and three pitchers, rookie Hunter Dobbins and prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita.

It’s unknown if Contreras will get back behind the dish for the Red Sox after becoming the Cardinals’ everyday first baseman last year.

Manning first 120 times, including 119 starts and 101 complete games, was certainly an adjustment. Contreras had made 774 catching appearances between his ‘16 debut and the end of ‘24, and only three starts and 11 total appearances at first base, all prior to 2020.

“I wouldn’t say that it was easy for me, because every position has their own secrets,” Contreras said. “But I accepted the challenge. I took it as a challenge for me, and I know that I did my best last year.”

Contreras ranked in the 77th MLB percentile in Fielding Run Value and 90th in Outs Above Average, with his six OAA fourth-best among all first baseman. He made nine errors, one shy of Boston’s total at the position. As impressive as last year was, he’s committed to continuing to improve.

“It’s a really tricky position, because you’re going to have to learn the angles, how to get to first base, how far you’re playing, where you’re going to be playing with the shift, who’s hitting, who’s slow, who’s fast, so there’s a lot of questions,” Contreras explained. “When you’re willing to listen, willing to take tips, everything comes easier.”

“I think every year is a new opportunity to keep getting better, and every day is a new opportunity to keep getting better,” he continued. “If you don’t want to get better, that means, I think, you need to – you’ll go away from the game. This is a game of challenge, this is a game of failure… and I’m here for that.”

The Red Sox hope Contreras can be a stabilizing force at first base, which has changed hands countless times in the last half-decade. Between 2001-18, the Red Sox had 14 seasons in which a first baseman played at least 100 games. In the last five seasons, a Red Sox first baseman has reached 100 games twice, and they have had three seasons in which a minimum of eight men played first at least once.

Contreras is willing to put his catcher’s mask on again, too.

“They haven’t talked to me about catching at all,” Contreras said, “but if the team needs it like, down the road, and we have an emergency for a day or two, whatever, I’ll do it, because I’m a team player first.

“I wouldn’t say no, because I’m not that guy that has ego and says, ‘Oh no, I got moved to first base, I’m not going to catch anymore.’ No. I came here because I know that I can help the team any way I can to win.”