The topic of who should play first base has become a major point of contention among Boston Red Sox fans lately. With their Opening Day starter, Triston Casas, sidelined for the season, the team is still exploring alternatives. Rafael Devers, known for his firm stance, has publicly resisted the idea of switching positions, even calling out chief baseball officer Craig Breslow on Thursday for suggesting the move.

Many within the Red Sox community believe Devers will eventually agree to the change once the front office and manager Alex Cora allow him some time to settle down. However, what if this disagreement remains unresolved? In that case, the Red Sox might look to the trade market for a new first baseman to match Casas’ contributions. According to one baseball analyst, there are several appealing external options worth exploring.

On Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald proposed a few candidates for the Red Sox to consider acquiring for first base, including three-time All-Star Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals. Cerullo noted, “(The Cardinals) have Willson Contreras and Alec Burleson at first base but have openly expressed their intention to embark on a long-term rebuild.

Contreras is currently in the third year of his five-year, $87.5 million contract and has consistently delivered above-average offensive performance throughout his career.” He added that the Cardinals might be willing to offload his contract, and while the Red Sox may not be keen on absorbing that financial burden, they could potentially swap Contreras for Masataka Yoshida, whose contract is comparable, possibly sweetening the deal with a prospect to make it happen.

At 32, Contreras is transitioning from his former role as a catcher to playing first base full-time. However, he has been excelling offensively lately and has maintained an OPS+ over 100 every season since 2019. If former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, now with the Cardinals, is interested in Yoshida, he might be part of the exchange. But if the deal is merely a salary dump, the Red Sox must decide if taking on the remainder of Contreras’ $87.5 million contract is worthwhile.