Willson Contreras launched 27 home runs for the Boston Red Sox, yet the first baseman watched his club finish 26th in the majors in long balls and get bounced from October after just two games. For the offseason, Contreras made his heartfelt request to the front office without any sugarcoating.

Speaking with Boston Globe reporter Peter Abraham on Wednesday at Tropicana Field, Contreras addressed his front office directly: “I think we need some more offense. That’s for [Craig] Breslow to figure out.”

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow does not need convincing, and the data backs the ask. Boston scored 689 runs (23rd), drove in 658 (22nd), slugged .398 (20th) and hit only 163 homers (26th) across the majors this season.

The timing stands out. Contreras spoke shortly after his younger brother, Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, won the World Series, giving him a fresh benchmark for what a title-caliber roster looks like.

Breslow shares the diagnosis. After the season ended, he called the offense “inconsistent,” noting Boston reached base at a decent rate but lacked slug and never took full advantage of its unique ballpark.

That assessment is hard to square with a 32-5 stretch from June 25-Aug. 7, which turned a lost season into an 87-75 finish. The bats then dried up, and for Boston, September ended with the fewest runs (71) scored of any team that month.

The slide carried into the Wild Card Series, where the New York Yankees outscored Boston 18 to 2 (9-0 and 9-2) across two games in the Bronx. Contreras then reacted to the loss in a way that drew its own headlines.

Right after the elimination, Contreras suggested the club leaned too heavily on analytics, then answered a question about starter Sonny Gray’s early hook with a lips-sealed gesture that fueled days of debate across the Boston market.

Contreras later cleared the air in a conversation with Abraham of The Boston Globe. “After you lose in the playoffs and get kicked out, you get frustrated,” he said, adding, “We’re on the same page.”

Manager Chad Tracy and Breslow met with Contreras after the season to settle it. He is signed for 2027 at $17 million, with a $20 million club option for 2028. That stability matters because he carried the lineup.

Contreras was the one steady producer, slashing .275/.386/.516 with 27 homers and 81 RBI in his age 34 season. He paced the club in homers, RBI, on-base percentage and slugging, though injuries slowed him late.

Help was scarce around him. Roman Anthony, the 22-year-old outfielder, appeared in only 55 games and hit .245, then re-injured his wrist in the playoffs, leaving Boston banking on a rebound for a second straight winter.

Breslow did try to add pop at the deadline. He sent left-hander Connelly Early for infielder Curtis Mead, who logged just one at-bat before injury, and gave up three prospects and catcher Carlos Narvaez for catcher Adley Rutschman, who must still show more offensively.

Fixing the lineup may require a splash. Trade chatter has linked the Red Sox to Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, whom they reportedly chased at the deadline, with outfielders Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran possibly headlining a package.

Time is the complication. With MLB all but certain to enter a lockout at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1 when the collective bargaining agreement expires, Breslow has roughly a month to pursue a bat by trade or free agency.

Boston has the pieces for a deeper run if Anthony and Mead stay healthy and Rutschman hits. Whenever games resume, a lineup that managed only 163 homers needs another bat, as Contreras has already said.

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