Role
Willson Contreras came from St. Louis in December for Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita, and started 127 games at first base. He was the Red Sox's best hitter and an All-Star. In 2027 he plays first and hits in the middle of the order. He is due $17 million next year, and Boston holds a $20 million club option for 2028 with a $7.5 million buyout (per MLB Trade Rumors).
Outlook
He hit .275/.386/.516 with 27 homers, 81 RBIs and 59 walks, the best OPS (.902) of his career. Savant backs it up: 95th percentile in expected wOBA and 96th in bat speed. He also struck out 135 times. He missed time for a five-game suspension after the June 30 brawl with the Nationals (cut from seven on appeal, per MLB.com) and for a hamstring strain in September, and he told MLB.com after the Wild Card loss, "I'm sore all over. My hammy is tight, my right hand is sore, my right hip is tight."
Our take: he turns 35 in May, so some slide is coming, and the strikeouts make a drop in average likely. The power and the walks should hold. "I think I fit really well in this team," he said, and we agree, as long as the Red Sox add a bigger bat so he can hit fourth instead of carrying the lineup.