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DALLAS -- The Red Sox arrived at the Winter Meetings in search of an ace and went home with one, landing 25-year-old lefty Garrett Crochet in a trade with the White Sox on Wednesday.

Not only does Crochet already have overpowering stuff, but he still has untapped potential after completing his first full season as a starter.

Although Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was pleased to leave the Winter Meetings with a big arm fronting his rotation, he still has plenty to do in the coming weeks to build a team that can compete for the American League East title.

Here is where things stand as Breslow and his front-office contingent head back to Boston:

DEALS DONE

• Crochet acquired from the White Sox for C Kyle Teel (No. 25 overall prospect), OF Braden Montgomery (No. 54 overall), INF Chase Meidroth (BOS No. 11 prospect), Wikelman Gonzalez (BOS No. 14 prospect). More >>
• Free agent LHP Aroldis Chapman signed to one-year, $10.75 million deal. More >>
• C Carlos Narvaez acquired from Yankees in exchange for RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool space. More >>

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS

Right-handed bat
With Tyler O¡¯Neill heading to the Orioles via free agency, the Red Sox very much need a right-handed bat to replace his power. Even with O¡¯Neill, Boston¡¯s lineup leaned a little too much to the left, and Breslow will try to create some more balance. Third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Teoscar Hernández are the two best options from the free-agent market. Bregman would give the Red Sox instant leadership in the clubhouse, along with his solid bat and steady glove. He¡¯d likely move to second base, unless the Red Sox move Rafael Devers to first base or DH, a possibility they haven¡¯t discussed with the star slugger at this point. Hern¨¢ndez, who is plenty familiar with Fenway Park from his days with the Blue Jays, would be a supreme fit offensively.

There is increasing chatter the Sox are on a short list of teams vying for Bregman. Things have been quieter on the Hern¨¢ndez front. Could the market for right-handed bats start to get some movement in the coming days?

¡°We're prepared, and we've got a number of targets that we've identified, and we just have to figure out a way to execute on it,¡± Breslow said.

Another starting pitcher
Just because Crochet is in the fold doesn¡¯t mean that Breslow is finished exploring another addition to the rotation. Free agents Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler are two possibilities. And don¡¯t rule out a reunion with righty Nick Pivetta.

¡°I think we came here a few days ago thinking we needed to improve our rotation,¡± Breslow said. ¡°I think that's still the case. There are still really good starting pitchers left on the free-agent market. And there are still conversations that we're having with teams as trade targets.¡±

More bullpen arms
The addition of lefty fireballer Chapman was a nice start to Breslow¡¯s bullpen reconstruction, but there will likely be other additions, particularly when you consider free agent Kenley Jansen definitely won¡¯t be back. It also seems likely that veteran setup man Chris Martin will find a new home. Boston¡¯s goal is to add more velocity to a bullpen that lacked it last season.

Backup catcher
Danny Jansen is now with the Rays, which leaves the Red Sox in search of a new backup for Connor Wong. Some organizational depth was added to the position with Wednesday¡¯s trade with the Yankees for Narvaez, who has played in six Major League games, all of them in 2024 with New York.

RULE 5 DRAFT
With their 40-man roster full, the Red Sox weren¡¯t eligible to make a selection in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. However, they did lose righty Angel Bastardo, who was taken with the sixth pick by the Blue Jays. The starting pitcher had a 5.36 ERA at Double-A Portland last season.

GM¡¯S BOTTOM LINE
¡°We feel really good about adding Garrett to the rotation, but we're also going to continue to try to find ways to improve,¡± Breslow said. ¡°We'll also continue to be mindful of trying to add to the relief group, still trying to balance out the lineup and find a right-handed bat, probably looking at the catching position behind Connor becomes even more important. So we've got a lot of work still to do.¡±