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Lou Merloni: Red Sox Shouldn't Trade Willson Contreras At MLB Deadline originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras is a big name in the MLB trade deadline discussions, and for good reason.
The first-year member of the Red Sox clubhouse has been far and away the best hitter in Boston's lineup.
Contreras' batting average dipped under .300 after a hitless game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, but the 34-year-old is still leading the team in the category and nearly every other batting statistic.
His 16 home runs, 43 RBI, 135 total bases and .560 slugging percentage all lead the team. Contreras is perhaps the sole reason the Red Sox record is still salvageable at this point in the season.
NESN broadcaster Lou Merloni joined the "ITM Podcast" on Wednesday to discuss the MLB trade deadline. Merloni said that when it comes to Contreras, Boston should not be so quick to sell.
"No, no. I’m not trading him," Merloni told Joey Copponi and Scott Neville on the ITM Podcast. "He’s got a year left (in 2027) and a team option after that. This is a team that’s in desperate need of right-handed power-hitting guys. He fits in. You trade Willson Contreras, and now you’re going to go out and try to fill a Willson Contreras hole? You have enough holes. You have additions that you need. Do not create another one."
Contreras is on pace to smash more than 40 home runs. The Red Sox inherited his St Louis Cardinals contract, which has him making a relatively team-friendly $17.5 million a year.
Boston can get where it needs to go without reopening the hole at first base, which they struggled to fill for years, and creating a need for yet another right-handed bat in the lineup.
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