The Boston Red Sox just made a move for veteran slugger Willson Contreras, but in doing so, they may have officially started the clock on one of their homegrown talents.

With $41.5 million remaining in his salary from the St. Louis Cardinals, the Red Sox are reportedly signing Contreras in exchange for right-hander Hunter Dobbins and pitching prospects Yoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. They will receive $8 million in cash to cover Contreras’ deal. As shiny as the move looks, it puts 25-year-old Triston Casas’ future in real doubt following his season-ending patellar tendon injury in May.

“After pursuing and failing to land Pete Alonso, the Red Sox instead turn to Contreras,” ESPN MLB expert Bradford Doolittle noted. “[He] has certainly been defined by his consistency, with OPS+ figures of 126, 123, 138, and 123 over the past four seasons. And a slugging percentage between .447 and .468. He has two years left on his contract at $36.5 million. Plus a $17.5 million club option for 2028 (or a $6 million buyout), giving the Red Sox their first baseman for 2026 and ’27 and probably putting Casas on the trade block.”

The situation is as simple as it gets.

Before his season-ending injury, Triston Casas was already having a rough year at the plate. He was hitting just .182 in 29 games, with three homers, 11 RBI, a .580 OPS, and a well-below-average 56 wRC+. That was a sharp drop from 2023, when he led the Red Sox with an .856 OPS. And when he went down, the Red Sox scrambled.

Romy González and Abraham Toro split time at first, but neither locked the job down.

González actually started strong before a quad injury in May. Toro got plenty of run after being called up from Triple-A, but his production was uneven. Altogether, the fill-ins combined for a disappointing -0.7 WAR. That’s when Willson Contreras entered the picture, and the contrast was hard to ignore.

In his first full season at first base with the Cardinals, Contreras played 135 games and slashed .257/.344/.447 with 20 homers, 80 RBI, and a .791 OPS, good for a strong 124 wRC+.

It’s a problematic situation for Casas. Injuries have limited him over the past two seasons. Now there’s a real positional squeeze.

Both Casas and Contreras can play first and DH, but there aren’t enough everyday at-bats to go around. With Contreras under contract through at least 2027, many around the league expect Boston to explore trading Casas to fill other needs.

But even if this report feels like CBO Craig Breslow resolved the team’s 1B solution, the warnings are real.

“Contreras feels like a safe bet, but there are some warning signs here,” Doolittle noted. This is where age starts to matter. Contreras will be 34 when the 2026 season begins, and some analysts worry the Red Sox may be buying in on the back end of his prime. Injuries only add to the concern.

He fractured his left forearm last year, and a shoulder strain cut his 2025 season short. Sure, Contreras brings steady power (20 homers in 2025) and a reliable bat. But he’s not the classic 30–40 homer bopper many fans think the lineup still needs. That’s why the move feels solid but not extremely safe.

And despite his power, Contreras has dealt with noticeable offensive slumps, often tied to trade rumors and mental pressure. Early in 2023, with the Cardinals, his average dipped to .201. He even admitted that he had “lost his confidence.” A similar dip happened during his Cubs stint in 2022 as trade chatter ramped up, with then-manager David Ross noting how uncertainty can affect a player’s focus.

Contreras also plays with a lot of emotion. That fire can be a plus, but it has led to issues, too. The most notable was the 2025 suspension for bumping an umpire and tossing equipment in frustration.

But now, the deal is reportedly done. So, it’s worth taking a closer look at Willson Contreras’ contract structure.

How do the finances look after the Contreras signing

When Boston acquired three-time All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals, they immediately restructured his contract. The deal got finalized on Sunday. It sent three right-handed pitchers from Boston to St. Louis in exchange for Contreras plus $8 million in cash considerations.

This marks the team’s second major trade after dealing for three-time All-Star pitcher Sonny Gray earlier in the offseason. The Red Sox tweaked Contreras’ deal to shift $2.5 million of his remaining $36.5 million over the next two years to future obligations. Specifically, his buyout rose from $5 million to $7.5 million. Then his 2028 club option increased from $17.5 million to $20 million.

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In exchange, the 10-year veteran received a $1 million bonus for waiving his no-trade clause, even though he retains full no-trade protection for 2026. These adjustments lowered Contreras’ 2026 collective bargaining tax hit to $17.25 million, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

Spotrac projections now place Boston’s luxury tax payroll at $235.1 million. It leaves the $8.9 million before the first threshold and a critical $28.9 million before the second. This move makes the deferred money a vital component of their financial strategy.