Don’t plan on Willson Contreras leaving Boston anytime soon.
The Red Sox slugger, acquired in a trade with the Cardinals in December, affirmed his desire to stay in Boston for the long haul and not waive his no-trade clause while speaking with reporters Tuesday before the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
“The front office knows the answer [to my future]. I already spoke [to them] about it, but I don’t think I’m interested in going anywhere,” Contreras said. “I didn’t [directly] say, ‘Don’t ask me for a trade.’ But I told them I would trade something to stay here. That’s what I said.”
“I like Boston. I think it’s a great place to play, and it’s not easy to get traded again. So, I think I found my family here.”
Contreras, 34, has two years left on his contract after 2026 and said he’s excited to work with Boston’s young core.
“I like challenges. I like the team. I love my guys. I love my teammates and I don’t want to leave them,” Contreras added. “They’re great people, and that’s what I appreciate the most. And, like I said, every day they show up to the clubhouse, they’re willing to listen. They’re willing to learn, and that’s why I went ahead and said something [to the front office].”
While it seemed likely the Red Sox would be sellers at 32-46 just a few weeks ago, they won nine straight games entering the All-Star break and are 46-48, just a 1/2 game out of a playoff spot.
Trading Contreras may have been a strong possibility then, but it likely isn’t now. Especially with how valuable the slugger has been in 2026.
The veteran is hitting .285 with 20 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .921 OPS, making his first American League All-Star team. On top of that, he nearly made the finals of the Home Run Derby on Monday, falling short in the semifinals by one blast.
Prior to joining the Red Sox, Contreras spent three seasons with the Cardinals, hitting 55 homers over 344 games.
Before that, he won a World Series in 2016 with the Cubs, spending seven years in the Windy City and hitting 117 homers with three National League All-Star nods.
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