Since the end of the postseason, things have been tense for the Boston Red Sox. Several players made it clear they weren't happy with the decision making from manager Chad Tracy in the Wild Card round. Chief among them was first baseman Willson Contreras.
Immediately following the game, Contreras was clearly frustrated. In particular, with the decision to have a quick hook for starter Sonny Gray.
Contreras refused to speak when asked about the decision. Instead, he zipped his mouth shut, saying everything he wanted to say without opening his mouth. Gray was more open about his frustration, and now he appears to be on the way outs with the organization via free agency.
Willson Contreras was among the most valuable bats the Red Sox had in 2026. So, this frustration was concerning, particularly if it meant he wanted to leave this offseason.
It was a big enough concern that the Red Sox addressed it in their end-of-season press conference. There, CBO Craig Breslow shared that manager Chad Tracy sat down to discuss how the organization uses data to help make decisions for two hours.
Contreras would make a massive public appearance during Game 5 of the World Series. There, he showed up wearing a Milwaukee Brewers jersey in support of his brother. There, he spoke to The Boston Globe , both about watching his brother and about his ongoing relationship with the Red Sox.
"After you lose in the playoffs and get kicked out, you get frustrated," Contreras said . "But it was nothing to take personal. I think we had a great meeting. It's going to be good for next year. We're on the same page, which is the most important thing."
Injuries would do their part to derail his season in the second half. Even with that, it was one of the most productive seasons of his career. So, he's been resting up for the past few weeks while watching his brother fight his way to a World Series.
"I feel good about things, for sure. One-hundred percent," Contreras said. "Things are in a good place."
Contreras is under contract for one more season, in which he's set to get paid $17 million. After that, the Red Sox will have a $20 million club option for the 2028 season.
When Contreras got to Boston, he quickly thrived with a swing that was seemingly meant for Fenway Park. Even while battling injuries, he put up the best counting stats of his career, with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs.
On the Red Sox, that led the team in home runs and RBIs. Contreras was also first among the team's qualified hitters in OPS and slugging percentage. In other words, he is where a ton of their power was coming from, and the Red Sox really can't afford not to have him in the lineup.
Granted, the Red Sox clearly need to add more power as well. But losing Contreras this offseason would mean needing yet another player already on the roster to take a major step forward, or to be added to the roster entirely.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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