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BOSTON -- The most anticipated Winter Meetings the Red Sox have had in years is coming up in Dallas at the beginning of next week.

With Juan Soto headed to the Mets on a record contract according to a source, who will chief baseball officer Craig Breslow snag as proof the team is ready to get back into yearly contention for the American League East after being on the outskirts of the Wild Card race and falling short the last three seasons.

Soto’s bat is far from Boston’s only need. The Sox are also on the prowl for a stud in the rotation, another reliever or two and a right-handed bat.

Here is a primer for the Meetings.

Key events

• Sunday, Dec. 8: Hall of Fame Classic Baseball Era Committee results released. Late Red Sox great Luis Tiant is on the ballot.
• Tuesday, Dec. 10: MLB Draft Lottery. After missing the playoffs in '24, the Red Sox are in the lottery.
• Wednesday, Dec. 11: Rule 5 Draft. The Sox have recently done well in the Rule 5 Draft, landing a pair of key pitchers over the last four years. In the 2020 Rule 5, they pried Garrett Whitlock away from the Yankees. Last year, they got Justin Slaten from the Rangers via the Mets, and he was arguably the team’s best reliever in '24.

Club needs

Every bit as much as they desired Soto's big bat, the Red Sox want a true No. 1 pitcher. Tanner Houck did a nice job pitching like one for nearly half a season, but he couldn’t hold up his level of success for a full season and it’s hard to know for sure if he can do that going forward. The two pitchers the Red Sox are eyeing the closest are lefties Garrett Crochet and Max Fried. Crochet is being dangled in trade talks by the White Sox. The Red Sox might be one of the few teams that have the combination of young Major League talent and top prospects to make a deal work. As for Fried, he is a free agent, and the Sox immediately turned their attention to him after Blake Snell signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers that includes deferred money.

While Soto’s left-handed bat would give Boston’s lineup an increased fear factor, Breslow is fully aware that the team needs more pop from the right side. Teoscar Hernández could be a great fit, though he could very well try to re-sign with the Dodgers, the team he just won a World Series title with. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility Boston could re-sign Tyler O’Neill, who had a strong season when healthy last year.

Potential trade candidates

Much of this category depends on who the Red Sox wind up acquiring. For instance, if they get a big bat, would they then spin right fielder Wilyer Abreu to the White Sox as part of a package for Crochet? Triston Casas, the big first baseman who struggled with health and consistency in his sophomore season, is another player who could be made available in the right trade.

Prospects to know

At this time last year, the Red Sox had the Big Three fronting their prospect list. Now, it’s the Big Four, with their MLB Pipeline Top 100 rankings in parentheses: outfielder Roman Anthony (No. 3), shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 7), infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell (No. 10) and catcher Kyle Teel (No. 25). Anthony, Campbell and Teel all made their Triple-A debuts last season, and Mayer would have if not for a lumbar strain that ended his season prematurely. It is hard to imagine any scenario in which the Sox would trade Anthony or Campbell, both of whom have rapidly ascended through the team’s farm system. Mayer was once thought to be untouchable, but his propensity to get hurt down the stretch might make Boston more willing to move him.

Rule 5 Draft

Former American League Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, who experienced success as a starter and reliever with Detroit before the Red Sox signed him as a player rehabbing from a second Tommy John surgery in October 2023, could be an intriguing pickup after being unprotected by Boston. Fulmer would be a relatively cheap reclamation gamble on a contract. He will make $1.5 million if he’s added to a big league roster. There’s a decent chance the Red Sox will make a pick again this year considering how much of a payoff they got with Slaten last year.