A day after adding their first position player this offseason in first baseman Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged the roster is still incomplete, noting it’s a priority to add another bat.

Whether that bat will be Alex Bregman was not a question Breslow would acknowledge.

“I’m not going to get into the specifics of pursuits of individual players,” Breslow said, noting Bregman’s impact on the club last season. “We recognize that Alex has earned the right to reach free agency and has decisions and options in front of him.”

With the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays in the mix for Bregman as well, the race to sign the veteran third baseman has heated up. What Breslow did acknowledge was a need for more offense, even after trading for Contreras.

“We feel like we’ve got a competitive team and one that’s capable of a postseason run, but we also recognize that, at this point, the roster is probably incomplete,” he said.

The Red Sox added three starters to the rotation throughout the winter, but until Sunday had not addressed a serious need to improve the lineup. Whether it’s Bregman or someone else, Breslow said acquiring a second bat remains a focus.

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“It’s a priority for us,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that we line up on that target, whether it be a free agency or the trade market, but we’re certainly doing the work to put ourselves in position to do that. I think that there’s an opportunity to add another bat to the roster and complement the group that we have right now.”

The addition of Contreras brings Boston’s payroll to just shy of the $244 million luxury tax threshold. The Red Sox are expected to surpass that threshold, but it’s uncertain if they are willing to go beyond the second tier of $264 million. Signing Bregman would likely push the club past that mark, as The Athletic projects he’ll sign for six years and $171 million. Bo Bichette, another target who remains unsigned, is projected by The Athletic to sign for eight years and $212 million.

As for Contreras, Breslow said the 33-year-old will be the club’s primary first baseman with some opportunities at designated hitter.

“(He) brings an intensity and a competitive edge to a position that we had identified as an area of need,” Breslow said. “He can play first base as a right-handed hitter, so a profile that fits well at our park. We’re excited to bring him on and feel like that he lengthens the lineup and gives us some much-needed pop.”

Contreras has averaged nearly 20 homers the last four seasons with an OPS+ of 123 or better in all four seasons.

Contreras hit well last season with two outs and runners in scoring position (.977 OPS), an area where the Red Sox struggled mightily. He’s also shown a strong ability to pull the ball in the air, a trait that will suit him well at Fenway Park.

Adding a strong defensive first baseman appeared to be a key factor in targeting Contreras. Though he’s spent the first 10 seasons of his career as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, he was mediocre behind the plate and transitioned to first base last season in St. Louis to make room for two young catchers. At his new position, Contreras excelled, posting 6 Outs Above Average, the fourth-best mark among first basemen in the majors.

“Credit to him, he made that transition pretty smoothly, and even just throughout the season last year, improved defensively,” Breslow said. “We’re looking forward to the impact on both sides of the ball.”

What this means for first baseman Triston Casas remains a key question that will linger into spring training. Casas played just 63 games in 2024 following a rib cage fracture, then missed all but 29 games last season after rupturing his left patellar tendon. This offseason, he moved to Fort Myers, Fla., to work out at team facilities at JetBlue Park, but the Red Sox are tempering expectations on how ready he’ll be for game action come spring training.

Breslow made a point to call Casas after the Contreras trade to address his status.

“It’s no secret that Triston has tremendous potential, but also hasn’t been able to stay on the field the last couple of years, thanks to two really unfortunate but significant injuries,” Breslow said. “I had a chance to talk to Triston this morning, and what I told him is exactly what I’ll share with all of you, which is we still have a ton of confidence and belief in Triston. What he needs to do is commit to doing everything possible to get back on the field. He’s doing that right now.

“He feels really good with the progress, and there’s going to be an opportunity for him to impact games for us,” Breslow added. “Exactly what that looks like, we’ll figure out. But he was great in our conversation, and understood that this was an opportunity for the organization to take a step forward and fully supported it.”

Even if Casas is healthy this spring, it seems increasingly likely he’ll begin the season in Triple A to ease him back into game action. The Red Sox could also use him at designated hitter, but must first address how Masataka Yoshida fits the roster. Either way, Contreras’ addition strengthens the club, but they are far from done.

“As we sit here in late December with Triston coming off of a season-ending injury, to get too far ahead of ourselves probably doesn’t make a ton of sense,” Breslow said. “To have right-handed impact (in Contreras), left-handed impact (in Casas), both guys that can hit the ball out of the park, it’s going to make us better.”