Hot Stove Lunch: Red Sox sign two more arbitration-eligible players; Astros vow to go big and more

This is a 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

Over the last day and a half, the Red Sox have taken care of some off-season business, coming to terms with two more salary arbitration-eligible players: pitchers Carson Smith and Steven Wright.

Smith agreed to a deal worth $850,000 while Wright got $1.1 million. Coupled with the agreement reached late last month with Tyler Thornburg,  that drops the number of unsigned arbitration-eligible players to 10 -- still, one of the largest group of any MLB team.

Included in that group are a number of everyday core players including Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, and two projected starting pitchers: Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez.

(Others: Brock Holt, Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon, Joe Kelly and Brandon Workman).

It's projected that the Sox could end up spending approximately $45 million on their 13 arbitration-eligible players. Players and teams are set to exchange figures Friday, but agreements between the two sides can take anytime between now and the scheduled hearings in early February.

It will be interesting to see if the Sox attempt to reach long-term deals with any of the players. As BSJ wrote last summer, the Sox made a multi-year offer to Betts last spring which was rejected.

AL EAST

John Harper writes than Gerrit Cole being dealt to the Yankees still seems inevitable

Dan Connolly has some thoughts on the Orioles.

There's plenty of talent in Tampa Bay's rotation.

Toronto GM Ross Atkins urges patience as a quiet off-season continues.

AL CENTRAL

Led by Corey Kluber, the Indians still have one of the best rotations in the game.

The Twins made a signing designed to improve their infield depth.

If the Tigers deal Michael Fulmer, they had better get a lot in return.

The White Sox' bullpen has been improved

AL WEST

The Rangers plan to give Willie Calhoun a chance to win the left field job.

Ken Davidoff wonders if the Astros -- not the Red Sox -- have become the Yankees' chief rival in the A.L.

Robinson Cano did a good deed in his native Dominican Republic.

NL

Travis D'Arnaud has the backing of the Mets in his to establish himself as the team's No. 1 catcher.

TAKE I MAY REGRET IN A MONTH:

The Minnesota Twins are installing additional safety nets at Hammond Stadium, their Fort Myers, FL. spring training home. This comes as most major league ballparks installed -- or further extended -- protecting netting between home plate and the dugouts along the bases lines.

Within this story, reporter David Dorsey notes that a similar announcement is coming from the Red Sox soon. The Sox apparently intend to extend protective netting at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South, their spring training complex.

This is welcome news, especially when one considers that spring training games in Florida attract both families with young children and senior citizens -- each of whom could benefit from the added protection.