As the MLB season continues and inches closer and closer to the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox are making one thing clear: they are not a playoff team. In years past, the Red Sox have struggled to choose a path at the deadline. Will they buy, or will they sell? Who can the Red Sox trade in order to better position themselves for success for years to come? Luckily for them, they have an unexpected MVP candidate who many teams will certainly be bidding for at this year’s trade deadline on August 3rd.
Willson Contreras is in the midst of the best season of his 11-year big league career. After coming over in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals this last offseason, Contreras has been even better than the Red Sox had hoped for. Not only has he been the leader of this Red Sox clubhouse, but he’s also been one of the best offensive bats in the major leagues.
As it sits today, Contreras is batting .304 with a .396 on-base percentage and a .570 slugging percentage to bring his OPS to .966. Not only are all of these career highs for Contreras, but he currently sits at fifth in all of baseball in the OPS category. Contreras also leads the Red Sox in home runs with 16, placing him just behind the Baltimore Orioles’ Pete Alonso for 15th in the entire league. Aside from the bat, Contreras has been an above-average glove at first base, something the Red Sox have been seeking for multiple seasons now.
Willson Contreras has the 6th-best OPS and wRC+ in all of baseball right now.
The 5 names ahead of him? Yordan Alvarez, Ben Rice, Shohei Ohtani, James Wood, and Nick Kurtz. pic.twitter.com/akmZJBWmOU
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) June 15, 2026
Contreras is currently under contract through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028. With the elite offensive production, defensive ability at first base, and more importantly, the clubhouse leader the Red Sox were searching for after the departure of Alex Bregman, why would the Red Sox even think about a Willson Contreras trade? The answer to that question is, simply put, the value he brings back.
The Red Sox Should Consider a Willson Contreras Trade
The Red Sox have multiple options they can dangle out to other teams if they do, in fact, become sellers, but none of them are as valuable to others as Contreras is. The down year from another trade option in Jarren Duran makes Contreras the most valuable offensive asset the Red Sox have, whether they want to admit it or not. The elite production at the plate with multiple years of team control will have several teams bidding to earn the right to Contreras.
Contreras does have a full no-trade clause. This could certainly limit Boston’s return, but if he is willing to waive that to go after the chance at a World Series title, the Red Sox could find themselves with quite the haul for the right-handed veteran power bat. Look for teams such as the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, or Arizona Diamondbacks to all be involved in the Contreras sweepstakes.
The Last Word
If the Red Sox do in fact decide to pull the trigger on a Willson Contreras trade, expect a great return with many teams driving up the price from others. A trade could see the Red Sox land one of MLB’s Top 100 prospects, or several of a team’s own top 20 prospects. It was certainly a successful investment by the Red Sox to acquire Contreras during the offseason, and they would most definitely get more than what they gave up for him in December.
The Red Sox would be throwing in the white flag on this season, but would be setting themselves up for more success for years to come. Contreras will be entering his age-35 season next year, and while Boston could be contenders with him in the lineup in 2027, it will take a massive overhaul to get them there after their dreadful start in 2026.
Main Photo Credit: © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
