Hot Stove Lunch: Is Jose Abreu a reasonable option for Red Sox? Also, call goes out for Verlander, and Blue Jays look for PED answers

This is a new daily BSJ off-season feature that will arrive in time for your lunch, Monday-Friday.

A spin around the leagues with the latest news, notes, and rumors around Major League Baseball:

RED SOX 

MLB Trade Rumors has a piece this morning in which it looks at the market for Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu and considers the various contenders for him, should the White Sox move him this winter.

There are 13 teams listed -- nearly half of baseball -- so this list doesn't purport to necessarily narrow down the field. What it does suggest is that Abreu might be a nice, short-term alternative to those who are priced out of the bidding for, say, Eric Hosmer, or, though he's not a first baseman, Giancarlo Stanton.

My take: Abreu would make a lot of sense for the Red Sox. He would undoubtedly offer a big upgrade for the middle of the lineup and, with two years of control, wouldn't tie up a lot of payroll or block anybody in the system. Perhaps in two years, Sam Travis might fully develop and be ready to take over at first. Or maybe someone further down in the system, like Josh Ockimey (currently at Double A) would be positioned to take over the position.

The problem is, what do the Sox have to offer Chicago? They're carefully managing the top end of the farm system, having already dealt off some prospects in trades over the last few years. Would the Red Sox be willing to move Jackie Bradley Jr., as the MLB Trade Rumors piece suggests? The White Sox were known to have interest in Bradley when the teams had discussions about Chris Sale.

It would seem that the Sox would have to include more than Bradley — who would give Chicago one more year of control (through 2020) than they currently have with Abreu -- though perhaps not much more, given the salary they're unloading (nearly $40 million over the next years).

Anyway, it's an intriguing alternative to some of the more expensive options on the free agent or trade market for the Red Sox.

The links are light today since Thursday was Thanksgiving and most team offices were closed for the holiday. But here are a few to keep the hot stove burning.

AL EAST

The Toronto Blue Jays recently had six minor leaguers test positive for PED use and are conducting their own internal investigation as to how and why the use was so widespread with their system, according to the Toronto Sun.

AL CENTRAL

Justin Verlander may be gone from Detroit, but that didn't stop Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford from literally giving him a shoutout in the Lions Thanksgiving Day game against the Minnesota Vikings, according to the Detroit Free Press.

AL WEST

Is current Astros -- and former Red Sox - outfielder Josh Reddick switching his wrestling allegiance for 2018? Looks like that might be the case, according to the Houston Chronicle.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Arizona's Archie Bradley, who was a compelling figure to watch in the post-season, is likely to remain in the Diamondbacks' bullpen for 2018. Nick Piecoro has the details.

ONE TAKE THAT I MIGHT REGRET A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW:

It's admirable of the Blue Jays to undergo a review of their system to determine why so many of their minor leaguers tested positive for PED use. More teams should do this. But I believe MLB has a responsibility to investigate why so many Latino minor leaguers are resorting to PED use. Is there a lack of oversight in the minors? In the Dominican summer and winter leagues? A few times per week throughout the year, the commissioner's office sends out releases announcing disciplinary action toward minor leaguers and the overwhelming majority of these players tend to be Latino. I'm not stereotyping here -- the evidence is plain to see. And MLB has to take a more proactive role in getting to the bottom of this issue by better educating players who 16, 17 and 18 years old, and desperate to make it to the big leagues.