Hot Stove Lunch: Could the Sox not offer contracts to Leon and Holt? Also, Yanks managerial search widens and more

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

This Friday is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to players under their control. When it comes to players with zero to three years of major league service time, this exercise is a no-brainer, since they're so affordable, making little more than the major league minimum.

Once players qualify for salary arbitration, however, it gets a little more complicated. The Red Sox have a staggering number of arbitration-eligible players (13), the most of any major league team. Many, of course, will be tendered: Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Drew Pomeranz and others are key members of the organization.

But a few might be getting too pricey for their own good and run the risk of being non-tendered.

MLB TradeRumors speculates that the Sox could non-tender Sandy Leon and Brock Holt. MLBTR is quick to point out that they're not in the business of predicting which players will definitely be non-tendered and instead are merely listing potential non-tender candidates.

Leon is projected to get $2.1 million salary arbitration while Holt is slated for $2 million.

Still, I think it's possible that both Leon and Holt are non-tendered. In fact, it was those two players specifically which led me to ask president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski at the GM Meeting two weeks ago whether he believed the Sox had any non-tender candidates.

"At this point, I don't know that answer,'' said Dombrowski. "But I'd say most likely not.''

Of course, that could still change.

Leon's $2.1 million salary is a lot to pay someone who has clearly slipped into backup mode after the breakthrough season experienced by Christian Vazquez, the No. 1 receiver. And consider that Blake Swihart -- not yet arbitration-eligible and thus more affordable -- is out of options, meaning the Sox would risk losing him by outrighting him to Triple A.

As for Holt, he's regressed the last two seasons and his projected salary of $2 million is steep for someone who posted a .548 OPS last year. The Sox have other candidates for the utility role (Marco Hernandez, Deven Marrero) who are less expensive.

It's possible that the Red Sox are spending the week making "take-it-or-leave-it'' offers to players, like Leon and Holt, on the bubble. So, Leon could be offered, say, $1.2 million instead of the $2 million he might get in arbitration, with the knowledge that if he says no, he'll be non-tendered and made a free agent, where it might be difficult to get that sort of contract in a crowded free agent marketplace.

Typically, such deals are not guaranteed, meaning the Red Sox could always release Holt or Leon in spring training and be responsible -- depending on the timing of such a move -- for only a quarter or one-sixth of the agreed-upon salary.

AL EAST

It's almost December and the Yankees don't have a manager in place. In fact, it looks as though they're adding to their list of candidates to interview, with Carlos Beltran on tap.

The Blue Jays have something of a logjam at first base/DH and may be looking to move Kendrys Morales.

AL CENTRAL

It would appear as though Byung-Ho Park's career with the Minnesota Twins is over after two disappointing seasons.

The Cleveland Indians lost a couple of pitchers on waivers.

AL WEST

The Texas Rangers have $3.5 million with which to pursue Shohei Otani. But beyond the signing bonus, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram takes a look at the Rangers' chances.

And on the subject of Japanese pitchers, the Mariners brought back Hisashi Iwakuma on a minor league deal.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Unhappy what they've seen from Dominic Smith, the Mets could be looking at Adam Lind as a solution at first base.

This should come as no surprise since he grew up in southern California, but it appears as though the Dodgers are the preferred destination for Giancarlo Stanton.

TAKE I MAY REGRET IN A FEW MONTHS:

The Yankees are being thorough in their managerial search, as they should be. But they seem weeks away from naming someone, since the finalists are supposed to travel to Tampa and get interviewed/vetted by the Steinbrenner family before a hiring is complete.

Obviously, there are no games to manage until late March and spring training is still more than two months away. But is anyone else wondering about the leisurely pace with which the process is moving?