While the Boston Red Sox didn't make a deep run in the 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs, this is a team that arguably will be right in the mix next year.

The bones are there with this roster. An infield featuring Willson Contreras, Caleb Durbin and then some combination of Curtis Mead, Trevor Story and maybe even Franklin Arias is very good on paper. The outfield is still a massive strength with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran. Boston has a top-five catcher in Adley Rutschman. The rotation has building-block pieces in Garrett Croochet, Payton Tolle, Ranger Suarez, Jake Bennett and Brayan Bello. Plus, the bullpen is among the game's most elite.

This team is going to be good. But there is still work to do and Contreras was just like Boston fans when asked what this team still needs, as transcribed by The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham.

"I think we need some more offense,” he said. “That’s for [Craig] Breslow to figure out.”

Who Is Coming To Town This Winter?

This has been the talking point of the offseason so far, and Contreras is right. With a little more offense, this team will be a World Series contender in 2027. One path would be opening up the designated hitter spot. The easiest way to do this would be to trade Duran. But in this scenario, Boston could pretty much add anyone and plug them into DH.

Another way to do this would be by going big and bolstering a spot that's already full, like shortstop. To add a shortstop, it would likely be through a trade. A few names have already been out there, like Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds. This past summer, Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels was someone mentioned as a target.

Power is a necessity. Or, if the Red Sox don't go out and add a 30-plus homer slugger, Boston needs to get an identity and lean into speed and getting on base. Simply put, you can't be in the middle of all those categories, which Boston essentially was in 2026. Adding offense is necessary. If Boston does, this is a team that could contend next year.

Adding an elite shortstop would arguably be the most interesting way to go. The more likely way to go would be signing a big bat to plug in as a DH and trading someone else away, like Duran.