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Hunter Dobbins is one of the pitchers returning the Cards way. Reports of multiple minor league pitchers as well.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
Red Sox get: 1B Willson Contreras and $8 million to cover part of his remaining $41.5 million in salary
Cardinals get: RHP Hunter Dobbins, RHP Yhoiker Fajardo and RHP Blake Aita
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 22, 2025
Dobbins is sort of like Fitts, although not as highly thought of and with a lower ceiling. MLB had him at a 40 FV prospect.
Fajardo is a 19 year old who had a really good year in the FCL and A ball this year. He’s probably the prize of the trade.
Aita seems like an add in. A 2024 draftee (6th round) who doesn’t seem to have put up much of a stat line.
A writeup on Fajardo.
https://soxprospects.com/players/fajardo-yhoiker.htm
I think I like that pickup, although it’s obviously a bit of a gamble. Dobbins will be another arm to compete for a rotation spot.
Clarification. BA's list is 2026. MLB Pipeline's ranking is 2025. https://t.co/RoFCVXoR5N
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) December 22, 2025
I had Bill sending 5mil to cover Willson’s buyout, but he sent 8mil. Hope that shows up in the trade return.
Blooms slogan is apparently the real deal. “Short-term sacrifices”.
One hard contract to go (Nado) and the entire 40man roster today, will need tendering annually.
That’s better, now Donovan, Arenado, Walker, Gorman, Nootbar, Romero and others I hope. Keep going Chaim.
Not sending anybody else along is surprising, and helpful. Maybe Boston didn’t want anybody, and Bill had to send a few extra Million instead. It will be impressive if NA goes in that way too.
May is going to end up their highest paid player at $12 million….they have to be in a cash crunch with this regional TV deal blowing up.
The deal is okay from a first glance although I don’t love it. To me it really all depends on Fajardo as I don’t really like Dobbins that much given his low ceiling. Seems more like a depth starter / long reliever type. Fajardo must have an advanced feel for pitching given he is a 18 year old who pitched 50 innings in A ball and did quite well actually.
The main thing this does is slots Burleson in as the 1B and hopefully he never touches the OF grass again as he is a defensive liability.
Blake Aita was set to rank 28th in the Red Sox system entering 2026.
Now, he heads to the Cardinals.
His best pitch is a sweeper with above-average potential. pic.twitter.com/XejxomDiCt
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) December 22, 2025
The main thing this does is slots Contreras in as the 1B and hopefully he never touches the OF grass again as he is a defensive liability.
He’s played roughly 40 games in the outfield in his 10 year career, and none since joining the Cardinals. Not sure why this is your peeve.
I am really curious what happens once spring starts. The org has been loading up on pitchers and receiving multiple in each deal. There are 2 things that are interesting here to me.
The first starting pitching playing time at each minor league level. I presume both minors guys acquired will be SP in the lower levels and will push someone out and even Dobbins isn’t guaranteed an MLB spot in my eye. Who’s SP playing time are they taking from? There will really be a crunch in the minors.
The second part ois what does the org do to trim down the minors roster size at the start of the minors year? From my understanding they can have 175 domestic non-40 players in the offseason. I’m unsure from Brian’s matrix what the actual count is now, but I know when the season starts it drops to 165 so there will be guys who have to be cut. It seems Bloom and co want a complete reset on the pitching prospects in the org and there is only so many innings to throw. Are we going to see a mass exodus of old regime style pitchers when the minors season starts?
The Cardinals got less of a return than they got for Gray.
I guess this was the law of supply and demand, since it doesn’t seem like there were too many teams looking for a 1B.
But hey, DeWitt gets to save some more money!
He’s played roughly 40 games in the outfield in his 10 year career, and none since joining the Cardinals. Not sure why this is your peeve.
Sorry I didn’t proofread my comment. I meant Burleson slots in at 1B now. Corrected to avoid confusing others.
With Willy traded and Herrera being given first shot a Catcher 1, Bloom is bulldozing the logjamb at at 1B/DH.
So what is the current MLB roster now assuming no more trades? I know that isn’t a good assumption, but just trying to see what they have now and what other trades may happen
C – Herrera, Pages (or Crooks / Pages?)
1B – Burleson
2B – Donovan, Saggasee
3B – Arenado, Wetherholt (Wetherholt will start at 2B or 3B)
SS – Winn
LF – Nootbaar
CF – Scott, Church
RF – Walker
DH – Gorman (or Herrera with Crooks at C)That still feels like a weak OF and DH although one I could see them running with. And then one of Arenado or Donovan most likely is gone to clear a starting spot for Wetherholt.
When the musical chairs finally ends, I have it as:
1B – Burleson/Herrera
2B – Wetherholt/Saggese
SS – Winn
3B – Gorman/Saggese
RF – Nootbaar/Walker
CF – Scott
LF – Donovan
C – Crooks/Pages
DH – Herrera/WalkerThat would mean they find a spot for Arenado, keep Donovan, they give up on Herrera at C, and Walker gets downgraded but not sent down. I’m not sure how likely all this is, but it’s my projection if I was guessing today.
Hunter Dobbins only started 11 games in 2025 because his season was cut short by a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered in mid-July. He also had a previous stint on the injured list with a right elbow strain
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