The Boston Red Sox are likely to offload multiple key players before the trade deadline. Despite entering 2026 with high hopes, Boston is currently in last place in the ultra-competitive American League East. In fact, the Red Sox find themselves 14.5 games out of first place. Only two other A.L. teams have a worse record than Boston at the moment.
While Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is set to trade away a few star players, do not expect Willson Contreras to be moved. The three-time All-Star slugger has recently been linked with a potential move out of Boston. This is even though Breslow only just acquired Contreras via trade in December. Nevertheless, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal believes that the first baseman will remain in Beantown.
Rosenthal was specifically asked about Contreras’ trade value during his June 22 appearance on Foul Territory. “Here’s my question: Why would the Red Sox want to trade Willson Contreras? He’s the one guy in the lineup who, from the right side, gives them power,” proclaimed Rosenthal.
“I don’t think they should be trading him if they want to compete next year. If they don’t, fine. But the Red Sox never take a full step back. They’re not going to, nor should they. So, you need Willson Contreras on your team. You don’t need to be trading him.”
Boston Red Sox Unlikely to Trade Willson Contreras Because of His Contract
GettyWillson Contreras has the fourth-best OPS (.903) among all MLB first basemen in 2026.
Although the Boston Red Sox are enduring a brutal season, Contreras has been one of the few bright spots on the roster. The former Cardinal is slashing .282/.378/.525 on the current campaign. He currently leads all Red Sox hitters in home runs, RBIs, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging.
A key piece of information in this particular scenario is Contreras’ contract. The slugger is not set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. Instead, he is signed through 2027 at a fairly reasonable price. According to Spotrac, the Boston star’s $17.5 million AAV ranks ninth-highest in the league among all first basemen. The Red Sox also have a club option to retain Contreras at $20 million for the 2028 campaign.
Underperforming teams tend to prefer to offload players on expiring contracts ahead of the trade deadline. This is especially the case for a club such as the Red Sox. As Rosenthal alludes to, Boston is not necessarily seen as a rebuilding club. Instead, Breslow is more likely to want to reload for 2027.
Boston Expected to Offload Multiple Pending Free Agents
The Boston Red Sox, however, will likely look to offload other stars such as Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman. Neither player has a guaranteed contract for the 2027 campaign. As a result, both of these stars have been linked with a move away from Boston. It was even recently revealed that Gray would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal.
Chapman, although dealing with a minor hamstring injury, has been one of the top closers in all of baseball this season. Because of this, several clubs have already been linked with targeting Chapman. This lengthy list includes the Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners. Due to a positional logjam, the Red Sox are expected to offload an outfielder in the coming weeks as well.
Red Sox Expected to Block Trade Offers for $87 Million Slugger