The Arizona Diamondbacks could solidify their win-now push by targeting veteran Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras.
The Boston Red Sox's current hot streak could change everything, but there's no point in hiding the fact that the Arizona Diamondbacks were linked to first baseman Willson Contreras.
Contreras, 34, would bring 22 homers to Chase Field. He's among the top 10 hitters in the league for his home runs (tied for 10th), and his 66 RBIs put him tied for ninth, at the time of writing.
The Venezuelan native almost exclusively plays first base, but he can always fill in as a designated hitter should the opportunity present itself.
If the Red Sox do indeed become sellers, there's no reason not to believe the D-Backs couldn't be in serious contention for Contreras.
Contreras is the big bat that the Diamondbacks need
Arizona needs to make a big splash in order to make this trade deadline worth it, and adding Contreras would do just that. This Diamondbacks team was linked to a boatload of players in The Athletic's big board, but that doesn't change the fact that Contreras may be the most intriguing of them all.
Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr., Chad Jennings, and Eno Sarris wrote, "Very little has gone as hoped for the Red Sox, but don’t blame Contreras for their disappointment. Acquired in an offseason trade, Contreras has, if anything, exceeded expectations,"
"A three-time All-Star known for his bat, Contreras is on pace for the best year of his career at the plate, and his transformation from catcher to first base has yielded good grades on defense. He’s among the league leaders in wRC+ and could be one of the highest-WAR position players traded at the deadline."
First base is among a position of need
The last thing the Diamondbacks want to do is block a young, 25-year-old player like Tyler Locklear, but this team needs to be in win-now mode. Locklear is hitting just .167, and Contreras could come in and help get him to that next level.
Other first base options have been Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas. Vargas has bounced around between first and second base, but he's a year older than Contreras, so it's not like the team is putting all of their eggs into his basket.
Tawa is hitting just .208 and is more of an outfielder than he is an infielder. Contreras would not only give Arizona a power-hitting bat, but he could bring some stability to the first base position for the remainder of 2026.
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