More Redbird reboot: Cardinals ship Contreras to Boston for pitching
In continuation — and rhyming verse — with their offseason strategy to date, the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to another trade on Sunday which sends a high-paid veteran player to the Red Sox, as first baseman Willson Contreras waived his no-trade clause to complete a deal which sends him to Boston.
The Cardinals will receive righty starter Hunter Dobbins and prospect starters Blake Aita and Yhoiker Fajardo in return.
Dobbins, 26, was 4-1 with a 4.13 earned run average in 11 starts last year, his rookie season. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while covering first base in a game last July 11 and spent the remainder of the season on the injured list.
St. Louis sent $8 million to Boston to cover some of the salary owed to Contreras, who received a restructured deal which guarantees him an additional million dollars. Dobbins takes his spot on the 40-player roster, which remains full.
“With this trade, we continue to bring young talent to the Cardinals to help us both in 2026 and for years to come,” Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in a statement. “The ability and competitiveness that Hunter Dobbins possesses has already given him a taste of big league success, and we are excited for him to join the other young arms on our 40-man roster. We’re also eager to welcome Blake Aita and Yhoiker Fajardo, who have both gotten their minor league careers off to impressive starts. Each has the upside to impact the game at the highest level, and we look forward to supporting them as they move forward in their development with us.”
Dobbins, who primarily relies on a four-seamer and slider, was in the lower reaches among big league pitchers in whiff and strikeout rate last season, but among the best in walk rate, barrels avoided, and ground balls induced. The data behind his pitches suggests an arm very much in the traditional mold of Cardinals starters, attempting to make use of the backing of an elite defense.
Contreras, 33, was signed as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season as the heir apparent catcher to Yadier Molina. His tenure in St. Louis got off to a rocky start behind the plate as he was temporarily removed from the catching spot with the encouragement of some underachieving starting pitchers. He would re-claim the spot before the season’s end, all the while providing his best offensive season in four years.
While catching in 2024, he was struck in his left arm by a swing, fracturing it and significantly disrupting his season. The Cardinals, with depth behind the plate, then moved Contreras to first base ahead of last season, in which he reached 80 RBI for the first time while providing positive defensive value at first base.
Fajardo signed as a 17-year-old with the Chicago White Sox before being traded to Boston after the 2024 season. He struck out 83 hitters in 72 innings spread against two low levels last season and did not allow a single home run.
Aita was a sixth round pick of the Red Sox in 2024 from Kennesaw State who pitched through both levels of A-ball last season while posting less than a strikeout per inning and a combined 3.98 ERA in 19 starts.
Dobbins becomes the second young starter the Cardinals have added from the Red Sox, Bloom’s former employer, this offseason. Richard Fitts, added nearly a month ago in a trade involving Sonny Gray, will also be part of the competition for spots in the Cardinals rotation. Those two, as well as Andre Pallante, will likely be competing for one rotation spot, as Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May and Michael McGreevy are all expected to hold down spots.
Kyle Leahy is moving from the bullpen to make an attempt at joining the starting rotation, and the Cardinals are expected to lean heavily in the direction of allowing that move to succeed.
With Contreras’ departure, first base for the Cardinals opens up for Alec Burleson on an everyday basis. That provides the team with the ability to use Iván Herrera, among others, as the designated hitter, and frees up spots in the corner outfield.
This story was originally published December 21, 2025 at 7:03 PM.