When the offseason began, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow identified several areas of need he expected to address over the winter. At the top of the list was adding a frontline starter and several impact bats who could provide some necessary power in the heart of the order.

With the Christmas holiday approaching Breslow has brought in multiple starting pitchers and now an accomplished bat in Willson Contreras. But speaking to the media on Monday, the Red Sox boss said the club isn’t finished yet.

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“We’re still looking for any opportunity to improve our team, 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 and it doesn’t make any sense to turn off any specific path to improving,” Breslow said. “So we’ll continue to look in free agency and look in the trade market for ways to get better.”

At the top of the list now is another bat, ideally an everyday starter who could slot in near the front of the lineup. While Breslow wouldn’t address specific players the club could target — including free agent third baseman Alex Bregman — he said position players will be the main focus for now.

“I think our focus is pretty firmly on the position player side right now, but that’s not to say we aren’t engaged in conversations around some additional pitching,” Breslow said. “Exactly what that looks like, I’m not sure, but there will probably be opportunities to add to the bullpen and round out that group a little bit and as always if there are chances to improve the rotation we’re going to take a look at that as well.”

Breslow also addressed the club’s offseason approach to this point, which has leaned heavily towards trades. Sunday’s Contreras acquisition marked the 10th trade made by the Red Sox since the season ended, yet the club is one of only two teams that hasn’t signed a single big league free agent, the other being the Colorado Rockies.

“It’s not a deliberate or intentional decision to close off one pathway in favor of another, we’re constantly trying to lay out the options in front of us and make the best decisions,” Breslow said. “We haven’t signed a free agent yet, that’s not because there aren’t free agents that we’ve been engaged with or because there aren’t desirable targets in the free agent market, we just haven’t lined up yet.”

In addition to Contreras, the Red Sox have also added right-handed starters Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, right-handed reliever Ryan Watson, left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego, utility man Tristan Gray and lefty pitching prospect Jake Bennett to the 40-man roster.

Among those the Red Sox have dealt away are young right-handed starters Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins and Luis Perales, top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, infielder Vaughn Grissom, and lefty relievers Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy, along with numerous minor leaguers of varying pedigree.

For the most part the Red Sox have mainly dealt from areas of surplus, particularly the club’s huge glut of MLB-ready depth starters and from its crowded outfield. But over time the Red Sox run the risk of depleting the farm system they’ve spent the last five years building, and Breslow said that’s something he’s mindful of as the offseason continues.

“My job is to be mindful of balancing the short term and the long term and there’s only so much that you can dig into your system and trade before you start to impact your ability to sustain success over time,” Breslow said. “So free agency is part of the equation here, it’s been a part of the recipe for success for a really long time, I anticipate that will continue, it just hasn’t yet.”

Contreras to play mostly 1B

Before he successfully converted to first base during his final season with the Cardinals, Contreras spent his entire professional career as a catcher.

Could he factor into the equation at that position in Boston? It’s possible, but Breslow said that’s not the plan.

“I think we’ll have those conversations but as of now we see him primarily at first base,” Breslow said. “Maybe some DH opportunities, but the more we can get his bat in the lineup the better off we’re going to be.”

Contreras is coming off a solid offensive season in which he batted .257 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI and a .791 OPS. He’s recorded four straight seasons with more than 120 OPS+, which translates to 20% better than average offensive production, and Breslow said the club believes his ability to drive the ball to left field will make him a perfect fit at Fenway Park.

“(He has) elite bat speed, hits the ball really hard, and over the last few years his ability to pull the ball in the air has increased, that’s something that’s going to profile really well at our park,” Breslow said.

Breslow also noted that he previously worked with Contreras when the two were both in the Chicago Cubs organization earlier in their careers, and the Red Sox boss spoke glowingly of Contreras’ character.

“You will not find someone who is as competitive and engaged and intense during the game and who cares so deeply about his teammates, so we’re really excited about the impact he’ll have on and off the field.”