I know they have some money to spend, but I think pitching is the top priority. They had 2 great starters this year followed by a black hole of nothingness. I think they're comfortable with Paxton as the #3 guy going forward, and might be ready to bring back Chris Young, but I think they'd like a major upgrade over the other young guys they tried this year (Elias, Ramirez, Maurer, etc).
If they're comfortable counting on 22-year-old Taijuan Walker next season, maybe they spend the big bucks on a bat. But right now I'd be a lot less surprised to see them make a serious run at Lester than V-Mart.
Although I suppose if they think Walker is just close, they could settle for a guy like Peavy or Hammel (or a gamble on Beckett, who might be forced to take a 1-year deal) and chase 1 or more top free agent bats. I don't think the top FA bats (V-Mart, Hanley, Sandoval) are good fits. They are ok at third, so unless they think Hanley is worth a move back to SS, probably for some years, he doesn't fit, and Sandoval obviously doesn't for the same reason. V-Mart is just older than virtually anyone on the roster, and I think they want to stay young if they can.
Yasmani Tomas could be a very interesting option. Based on recent Cuban imports, he could get pretty expensive, but likely in the 7-figure range, so not totally over-the-top expenditure.