"ESPN's David Schoenfield gave Boston a positive grade for addressing an area of need at first base - especially at a lower cost than what it would take to sign a free agent like Pete Alonso. While Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles earlier this month, Contreras is under contract for the next two seasons at $36.5 million - with Boston also holding a $17.5 million club option for the 2028 campaign."
"Contreras feels like a safe bet, but there are some warning signs here. He's entering his age-34 season, in that danger zone, and he's coming off a career-low 7.8% walk rate while also seeing his strikeout rate increase the past two seasons," Schoenfield wrote. "But the bat speed (95th percentile) and hard-hit rate (83rd percentile) remain strong, so though he shouldn't fall off a cliff, his best days are probably behind him."
Boston acquired three-time All-Star Wilson Contreras from St. Louis in exchange for starter Hunter Dobbins and minor-league arms Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Contreras is expected to add power and sound defense at first base while carrying a two-year, $36.5 million contract with a $17.5 million club option for 2028. The move addresses a pressing need for a plus bat in the infield at a lower cost than top free-agent alternatives. Performance indicators show strong bat speed (95th percentile) and hard-hit rate (83rd percentile), but age, a career-low 7.8% walk rate, and rising strikeouts raise durability concerns.
Read at Boston.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]