Despite flopping on the two biggest free-agent power bats at the Winter Meetings, the Boston Red Sox remain engaged with teams on acquiring two hitters via trade or free agency, according to a league source, as the club explores multiple options to upgrade its offense.

Though the Red Sox are still pursuing free agents like Eugenio Suárez, the trade market may be easier to hunt given Boston’s wealth of depth to trade. There’s clear interest in the club’s surplus of outfielders, along with young pitchers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, who, unsurprisingly, seem to be generating the most conversation as two top 100 pitching prospects with big league experience.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is still on the table in a trade, as is St. Louis first baseman Willson Contreras. The Athletic’s Katie Woo noted over the weekend Boston’s “significant interest” in Contreras, a right-handed bat with strong defense. Though he’s not a pure power hitter, having hit 20 or more homers in four of the past five years, he’s still above average at the plate with a 123 OPS+ over that same span.

Contreras offers a strong glove with a semi-powerful bat. (Joe Puetz / Getty Images)

Once a catcher, Contreras has morphed into a strong defensive first baseman. His six Outs Above Average last season put him in 90th percentile of all first baseman and fourth overall at the position.

One National League executive noted the Red Sox have plenty of prospects that teams are clamoring for — not only with a deep overall farm system, but elite “upper-end talent.”

Getting the Red Sox to part with it has been the sticking point.

With 12 pitchers, including Early and Tolle, in the mix for the rotation, the Red Sox continue to listen to offers for their young pitchers, but seem more inclined to trade Early or Tolle for veteran, front-end starters. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported recently on Boston’s interest in Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta and Kansas City’s Cole Ragans. On the free-agent pitching front, the Red Sox have shown interest in right-hander Michael King. The 30-year-old could further bolster their pitching with perhaps an eye toward trading a piece away.

But the real hole in the roster remains in the lineup.

Even as the Red Sox pursue a reunion with Alex Bregman, his return alone likely will not be enough to boost an offense that finished 15th in homers last season. Without any additions last week, the Red Sox have put themselves in a tough spot ahead of spring training as teams around the league continue to improve.

At the start of the Winter Meetings, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stated adding a middle-of-the-order bat was his top priority. Yet, the club failed to even make an offer to Kyle Schwarber while watching slugger Pete Alonso sign with division rival Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox, according to a league source, made an offer both fewer in years and dollars to Alonso than Baltimore’s five-year, $150 million deal.

For now, the Red Sox remain idle in what has become a familiar waiting game.

Kristian Campbell and the (still) crowded outfield

Though it seemed inevitable the Red Sox would trade from their group of four outfielders, they have yet to do so. At the Winter Meetings, Breslow presented a scenario in which all four could remain on the team. That surplus helped last year when Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu went down with injuries. Both Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela are coming off Gold Glove winning seasons, and while Jarren Duran didn’t have as productive a season as 2024, his 4.7 bWAR last year was second on the team to Garrett Crochet’s 6.3.

If the Red Sox hold onto their outfielders, they’ll need to find a way to get each one playing time.

“I think those four guys make a lot of teams better, including ours,” Breslow said. “We have to listen (to trade offers) because it would be, I think, irresponsible not to. But the bar we’re going to hold is really high, because each of those guys is capable of contributing multiple wins to our team.”

What Breslow didn’t mention among those four is that Kristian Campbell has been getting reps exclusively in the outfield in winter ball in Puerto Rico. How he fits in the big league picture is another unanswered question, but the Red Sox want him to focus on solidifying his offensive approach and say they will figure out his best defensive position later.

In other outfield news, manager Alex Cora spoke last week for the first time this offseason and made a point to address Rafaela’s streakiness at the plate. Though Rafaela won a Gold Glove in center, rounding out his game will be key entering his third full season.

“Offensively, I think we need more,” Cora said. “The last two years, August, September, we know he swings, we know he chases, but it goes up. And we have challenged him physically. He tries to gain weight, but it’s hard for him. I would love to eat the way he eats and not gain weight. For him, it’s a challenge. Hopefully, he can gain some pounds in the offseason and get stronger so he can sustain his physicality throughout the season.”

Marcelo Mayer hoping to play for Mexico in WBC

With a slew of big-league players expected to play in the World Baseball Classic, the Red Sox, like most teams, expect to have a broken camp come spring. Mayer, whose parents are Mexican, has expressed a desire to play for Team Mexico alongside Duran.

Because Mayer is coming off season-ending wrist surgery there are a few more hoops to jump through in terms of team insurance, in case he gets re-injured in the tournament. Cora, who once served as GM of Team Puerto Rico, has an affinity for the WBC and appreciates player involvement, even if it makes spring training tougher with players away from their base camps.

While Mayer is still vying for a spot on the big league club, Cora said his absence, if granted a WBC spot, wouldn’t affect his standing for making the big league club.

“We’ll be watching. It’s good competition,” Cora said. “Having them in the clubhouse is important. There’s certain teams that they’re going to feel it in spring training because there’s a lot of guys from certain teams that are going to play. I’m not into the mode of, if he’s not here, he doesn’t have a chance (to make the opening day roster).”

Internal candidates for lefty relief help

A less pressing but still notable area of need is left-handed relief help. At the moment, closer Aroldis Chapman is the lone lefty in the bullpen after Steven Matz signed with Tampa Bay Rays and the Red Sox traded Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy.

A reunion with Justin Wilson remains on the table, but two names already on the roster that have routinely surfaced in recent weeks are lefties Jovani Morán and Tyler Samaniego. Breslow noted last week both lefties are highly thought of, signaling their chances of making the club come spring.

The Red Sox acquired Morán from Minnesota last winter, and while he pitched most of the season in Triple A, he did make two appearances for Boston in mid August. Morán missed all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery.

Samaniego was one of three pitchers along with Johan Oviedo the Red Sox acquired from Pittsburgh last month.

Cora called Morán a “very intriguing” pitcher because he’s shown an ability to get lefties and righties out equally well. He’s currently pitching in winter ball in Puerto Rico, alongside Campbell, under Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez. Samaniego is a big-bodied lefty with big strikeout numbers, traits the Red Sox value.

Where Triston Casas stands

All offseason, Breslow’s comments about not penciling in Casas as the Opening Day first baseman have created speculation about his role. Last week, Breslow tried to offer clarity.

“It’s not about our confidence in his baseball ability,” Breslow said. “He’s got the same talent that he had: the ability to manage the strike zone, to hit the ball out of the park. We need that. We’re going to need that. We just don’t want to overly pressurize the situation for guys coming back from a pretty significant injury.”

So a healthy Casas could indeed be the Opening Day first baseman?

“He could, for sure,” Breslow said. “Again, I don’t want to get too far out in front of ourselves, but he’s a guy who, when he’s on the field, he’s had the ability to impact the game. He just has not, unfortunately, been on the field.”

Casas has a lot to prove this spring, with health and durability being the main goal after a series of injuries over the last few years. He also has to prove he can provide consistent production at the plate.

Nevertheless, the Red Sox seem willing to let him prove all of that knowing he still has minor-league options. If the Red Sox feel he’s not ready health-wise or at the plate, he could begin the year in Triple A.