DALLAS — The second dagger of the Winter Meetings for the Red Sox came to light just before the Boston media boarded the elevator on their way to Craig Breslow’s suite for their daily debriefing.

Max Fried had agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees.

According to a source, the Red Sox’s offer to secure the starting spot was “significantly” lower than what New York ended up getting, leaving Boston with the same kind of narrative it had promised this offseason allow. The Sox weren’t willing to be so uncomfortable that they actually finished first in this type of pursuit.

Given the emotions surrounding the loss to Juan Soto two days earlier, the frustration wasn’t hard to see. It came from social media. It came from those who believed the shocked and awestruck Red Sox were back. (A person familiar with the negotiations believed that if the Sox were competing with the Yankees, Fried would have chosen the Red Sox.)

Just before the media entered the room to meet Breslow, a group consisting of President Sam Kennedy, manager Alex Cora and senior advisor Theo Epstein left the room having just been forced to find a Fried-free path to profitability.

Then came Breslow.

“I think my general approach here is that in order to attract free agent talent, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable,” he said. “And I don’t think it would be fair to talk about individual endeavors or deals other than to say that I think that’s the mood in our room, and we recognize that that can’t be as we try to “Improving our team” is about doing what feels completely comfortable.

He’s right.

But at some point, the Red Sox will have to put their discomfort on display. The Mets did it. The Yankees did it. Not the Sox. The good news is that there is still time. But make no mistake, the clock is ticking. It was a reality they were reminded of almost immediately after Breslow’s 20-minute meeting with the media, when another potential target, Nathan Eovaldi, came off the board thanks to a three-year, $75 million deal with the Rangers.

What does this message look like?

The obvious salvo involves the last remaining true top rotation pitcher on the free agent market, Corbin Burnes. If a deal were to go through with the 30-year-old pitcher, faith would return. However, it will likely cost more than Fried.

There are other ways to keep the promises. Dylan Stop it. Garrett Crochet. One of the young aces of the Pittsburgh or Mariners. But it will also likely bring a level of discomfort that has not yet been reached. Even a shorter-term option like Walker Buehler would be a positive move that gives the fan base some much-needed hope.

Then there are guys like Teoscar Hernandez, Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado.

Sources said Hernandez’s asking price was influenced by perceived desperation for Soto. This led some of the outfield prospects – including the Red Sox – to look for other options to fill the role of a left-handed hitter tormenting the right-handed hitter. Angels outfielder Taylor Ward is suddenly on more than one team’s radar. Seiya Suzuki (with a no-trade clause) also fits into this category.

As WEEI.com reported Sunday night, Bregman was a priority for the Red Sox. In many ways, he’s a perfect fit for a team that needs stability at second base, presence in the right batter’s box and leadership in the clubhouse. But it will cost them dearly, especially considering that some of their main competition may come from the Yankees and the only team Bregman has played for is Houston.

Arenado would be an interesting — and somewhat unusual — option, as the 33-year-old is under contract through 2027 thanks to his nine-year, $275 million deal. According to MLB.com, the infielder listed the Red Sox as one of the six teams he would endorse, along with the Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Phillies and Mets. Arenado, a former teammate and good friend of current Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story, would likely be moved to first base, paving the way for a trade for Triston Casas, who could also become the team’s full-time designated hitter.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings, Arenado’s agent Joel Wolfe said of his client’s possible position change: “The way he put it, “I play first,” sometimes (teams) don’t want to ask a player to do that. So he wanted to offer it and say, ‘I’m happy playing first, I can move around and play third.’ Nolan was like, ‘I’ll play shortstop, I’ll do anything, but I don’t feel insulted if.’ I go play first, and I can win a Gold Glove over there if that’s what it takes.'”

“We must remain aggressive and confident in our decision-making,” Breslow added after the Fried news.

More aggressive. Even more convicts. Better results. These are the realities the Red Sox must confront before it’s too late.