The Red Sox are being lapped in this race and will continue to be until they decide otherwise.

Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow understands that. His meeting with reporters at Tuesday’s Winter Meetings came about an hour after Fried picked the Yankees over the Red Sox, and he acknowledged what had happened in recent days.

“To attract free-agent talent, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable,” Breslow said. “I think that’s the vibe in our room, and as we try to improve our team, it can’t be about doing what feels completely comfortable.”

Right-hander Corbin Burnes is next in line for a big contract. Either the Red Sox will get uncomfortable, or they will continue to be Wile E. Coyote watching the Road Runner speed away.

“We intend to continue to remain at the forefront of rotation options,” Breslow said.

Fried’s new contract set a record for a left-handed hitter. The old mark was $217 million for David Price when the Red Sox signed him before the 2016 season.

Price was 46-24 with a 3.84 ERA over four years before much of his remaining salary was thrown to the Dodgers as part of the Mookie Betts trade.

But Price also had a 16-7 record with a 3.58 earned run average over 30 starts in 2018 and threw seven brilliant innings to beat the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.

Given his two wins, he should have been the series’ Most Valuable Player instead of Steve Pearce. Throw everything else aside, the prize was delivered when it was time.

The Sox could trade for a starter, but given the demand, the price for talent will be high. It’s easy to say it’s all about money when it’s not your money, but the quickest way back to the World Series would be to spend on a starter and use prospect depth to fill other needs.

The Sox have explored the idea of ​​trading one of their top position player prospects for a promising young starter. There were talks with Pittsburgh in July that never materialized and were not resumed.

Seattle is another team that could make such a deal.

Then there is Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old right-hander from Japan is on his way to the United States and could begin meeting with teams next week, according to his agent Joel Wolfe.

The plan calls for interested teams to send representatives to meet with Sasaki. He would then arrange personal visits.

Wolfe estimated that Sasaki was scouted by at least 15 teams in Japan when he played for the Chiba Lotte Marines. The Red Sox were one of them.

“This is someone who makes every rotation better from the moment he comes in,” said Breslow, who personally watched Sasaki pitch last season.

“As we think about pursuing front-of-the-rotation options, I think it makes sense to look at the entire landscape and we will be as aggressive and strategic as possible.”

Money literally doesn’t matter here. Because he is classified as an amateur free agent, Sasaki will be limited to a contract bonus of around $5 million and will play at least in the major leagues next season.

The Sox will give a presentation reflecting their success with Japanese pitchers over the years. The Sox also have a number of Japanese personnel on their medical and strength and conditioning teams.

Breslow stated that the team has done a lot of background work on Sasaki and believes it can make a positive impression. But so are the Dodgers, Padres, Yankees and other teams.

Sasaki is a lottery ticket. The Sox need a No. 1 starter soon. It’s time to get uncomfortable.

Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @PeteAbe.