“We’re still very much engaged in trying to bring in a right-handed hitter, obviously one that we think can be a difference-maker,” Breslow told “The Fenway Rundown” podcast, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “We haven’t been able to line up (on that) yet, but the offseason is still underway. I think it’s fair to say that in some respects, maybe the roster is a bit incomplete. But we’re going to continue to work really hard to try to round it out.”

The Red Sox delayed their pursuit of a right-handed batter while trying to woo southpaw Juan Soto and bolstering their starting pitching rotation. They were linked to Teoscar Hernandez before the All-Star slugger decided to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers and continue to remain in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes. There is not much time left to strike, though.

Red Sox have multiple options to fortify lineup

Spring training is fast approaching, with Boston’s first full team workout scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17. Newcomers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler should excite fans, and seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman will grab attention with his enduring velocity, but the lineup still feels incomplete. Second base is a glaring question mark, one the team tried to fill with a number of players last season.

Signing Bregman might kill two birds with one stone– satisfying Boston’s right-handed needs and tremendously upgrading its infield defense. The 2024 Gold Glove third baseman is expected to switch positions if necessary, a perk that both the Sox and Houston Astros may try to utilize. He batted .260 with 26 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .453 slugging percentage in his age-30 campaign.

All-time great fielder Nolan Arenado is another potential righty who can reinforce the middle section of manager Alex Cora’s lineup in 2025. Boston has engaged the St. Louis Cardinals in trade conversations about the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove third baseman. If the Red Sox do not land one of these top two candidates, many fans will enter the new season a bit disappointed.

The franchise has already set the bar via its October-centric proclamations. The failure to rectify one of the remaining concerns in the position player group, in some shape or form, sends a mixed, or even disingenuous, message to Red Sox Nation.

“The focus has continued to be on building a roster that can compete for the division and for the postseason in 2025,” Craig Breslow said. Boston brass is under massive pressure to authenticate those words.