The two biggest power bats in free agency are off the board. So where do Craig Breslow and the Red Sox go next given that they entered the offseson intent on landing a bat? If this report is to believed, they have opened up trade talks with the Cardinals for Willson “Don’t Forget Second L” Contreras. Contreras will be 34-years-old next season and he shifted to fist base from behind the plate last year. But he’s a right-handed bat with pop who has put up an OPS+ of at least 123 four years in a row. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
It’s a little curious that the Sox are going after the 34-year-old Contreras in light of the fact that, according to this report, the Sox were scared off by Pete Alonso’s age. Alonso just turned 31-years-old. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Which leads to me to wonder if term, not age is the real sticking point for Fenway Sports Group. I’ve long argued that the number one goal of the post-Dombrowski front office has simply been to avoid long-term contracts. This piece quotes an agent who says “[The Red Sox] don’t believe in long-term deals.” (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
Contreras isn’t the only name floating around in trade rumors. According to a pair of MLB insiders, the Red Sox are one of five teams — the others being the Orioles, Yankees, Astros, and Giants — who are “in on” a potential trade for Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta. (Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon, The Athletic)
And speaking of injuries, here’s something that’s nice to see. Hunter Dobbins, whose season was cut short in July when he tore his ACL, is throwing again:
