While the question of if the Boston Red Sox will buy or sell at this year's MLB trade deadline is still up in the air, one thing is for certain: their spirited leader Willson Contreras will not be going anywhere.
According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, the four-time All-Star informed the Red Sox front office that he would not be willing to waive his no-trade clause and wants to finish his career in Boston.
Contreras had alluded to this yesterday, telling the Section 10 Podcast that he loves his new team and would prefer to stay.
“I just like it, I just love it there,” he said. “And I told them too, I was like ‘man just leave me here. I want to stay here.'”
Now, the 34-year-old has expanded on this, telling Cotillo that the request wasn't a "direct" thing but explaining that he has made it clear.
"I have found my family," Contreras said as relayed by Cotillo.
Contreras has been a revelation for the Red Sox this season after he was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in December. He leads the now third-place club in home runs (20), RBI (61), and OPS (.921) and was just selected to the American League All-Star team.
While there was some speculation that he could be used as a strong trade chip this deadline, Boston's current nine-game winning streak has hushed many of the calls to sell. Instead, the industry is beginning to believe that Craig Breslow could make a push to bolster the lineup with another thumper alongside Contreras.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Sonny Gray, who also came over from St. Louis in the offseason and also has a no-trade clause, said earlier in the season that he would be open to waiving his. Though the landscape looks a bit different now with the team nearly back to .500, just a half game out of a Wild Card spot, and likely not interested in moving on from the massively impactful starting pitcher.
The declaration is wonderful news for Red Sox fans, as Contreras has quickly become the heart and soul of the clubhouse as both a leader and star player, replacing the hole left by third basemanAlex Bregman. The veteran slugger has two additional years left on his contract, though he could end up sticking around even longer.
Contreras, who was booed heavily as he performed in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in Philadelphia, is three games into a four-game suspension. He will return to the field on Friday night for the second game of a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, almost certainly to a massive reception.
