Wish lists are being made, needs are being assessed.

We are little more than two weeks away from the start of the shopping frenzy known as the free-agent season in baseball. Teams coming off incredibly disappointing seasons (hello, Yankees) and teams that came up just shy of their ultimate goals (hello, Red Sox) are figuring out whether or not to take the plunge and make a big splash with a multimillion-dollar signing.

The Red Sox certainly will address their pitching staff, which seemed old in comparison to the young, hard-throwing Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series.

The biggest need, however, is an impact bat. Boston's offense looked anemic at times this October. Even in the division-series win over the Angels, the Sox hit just .250. Manny Ramirez is long gone, and the Sox need to add some pop to this batting order.

If they decide to address that need through free agency, the list has to begin with Mark Teixeira. He's a switch hitter who hit .303 with 33 homers and 121 RBI this season and would be the perfect complement to David Ortiz in the heart of the Boston lineup.

The problem is, the Sox are pretty well set at the corner infield positions. They've got Kevin Youkilis, who is still more than a year from free agency, and Mike Lowell, who is under contract for two more seasons.They would have to move Youkilis or Lowell to bring in Teixeira.

Moving Lowell would free up more room for Teixeira's salary, which will be at least $100 million over five years. Trading Youkilis would probably bring more talent in return.

Either way, the Sox would have to consider making another deal with agent Scott Boras to acquire Teixeira. The Sox could trot out an opening-day lineup that included Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mark Teixeira, Jason Bay, J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis or Mike Lowell. Impressive.

Teixeira will get looks from every team that can afford a big contract. So will Ramirez, who will be going somewhere other than Boston. After that, the free-agent options are somewhat limited, unless you're excited by the likes of Pat Burrell or Bobby Abreu.

There will be trade talks, of course, and the Sox certainly will look for a young catcher.

Expect the team to offer Jason Varitek a one- or two-year deal at a greatly reduced price. Varitek, a Boras client, may seek a much bigger deal, but it's hard to imagine a market for his diminished offensive skills. If he'll accept a reduced role at a lesser salary, he could be back.

Even so, the Sox need to upgrade the position. They made a run at Gerald Laird of the Rangers last winter and no doubt will place another call to the team deepest at catcher.

Texas has Jarrod Saltalamacchia and young Taylor Teagarden ready to catch at the major league level, and they will entertain offers for one of the three.

If the Sox find a catcher, he will have to handle the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield but will also have the chance to become the team's everyday catcher in the not-too-distant future. He should also have the chance to catch plenty of innings in 2009. After pinch hitting for Varitek three times this postseason, Terry Francona has made it clear he is willing to cut back on the captain's workload.

There are other decisions to be made this off-season: The Ellsbury/Coco Crisp debate again will be a hot topic, and the return of Julio Lugo will have fans up in arms.

Those discussions, however, center on the bottom third of the order. If the Red Sox want to return to the postseason after another grueling season in the tougher-than-ever AL East, they'll need to add some pop to the meat of the order first.

Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on the New England Sports Network. His column appears in the Press Herald on Tuesdays.