No progress in Red Sox-Cubs negotiations  —  Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington told reporters Wednesday there has been no progress in negotiations with the Cubs over compensation for Theo Epstein.  —  The two hope to hash it out in Milwaukee next week at the general managers' meetings, which begin Monday.

Car used by abductors of Nats' Ramos found … CARACAS, Venezuela — Officials said Thursday they have found the vehicle used by armed men who abducted Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, a case that highlights a sharp rise in kidnappings in Venezuela.

Dodgers, Kemp discussing long-term contract  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers, unlikely to pursue top-tier free agents Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder because the team is for sale, nonetheless are in negotiations on a long-term contract for Matt Kemp that have had “more substance lately,” according to a baseball source.

Jorge Posada says return to Yankees is ‘not going to happen,’ catcher may be staring at retirement  —  Former catcher says he will ‘always be a Yankee’  —  Has Jorge Posada waved goodbye to the Yankee Stadium faithful for the final time?  —  The Jorge Posada era in New York is over.

Beltran, Cespedes offer shoppers intriguing contrast  —  There's not a whole lot out there on the outfielder market, which is why it'll probably be good to be a young Cuban with a free-spirited video, and why it'll definitely be good to be Carlos Beltran(notes).

MetsBlog Q&A: Cerrone talks to Sandy about spending  —  Tonight, Sandy Alderson will be a guest on this season's debut episode of SNY's Mets Hot Stove Report, which airs every Thursday night at 7 pm ET.  —  Last week, MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone caught up with Alderson for a quick …

Q&A: Bob Larsen still a fan, but not of new Yankee Stadium  —  VERO BEACH — Baseball fans in Vero Beach grew accustomed to seeing former Dodgers legends roaming the backfields of “Dodgertown.”  —  This week, they have had the opportunity to see some Yankee greats, too …

Minor Moves: Valdes, Dinkelman, Almonte  —  The latest minor moves...  - The Phillies have signed left-handed reliever Raul Valdes to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Projecting Prince Fielder's career  —  Prince Fielder has been a beast over the last 3 years.  He missed only 1 game in that time while posting a 155 OPS+.  —  Since 1901, Fielder is tied for the 35th-best OPS+ over the 3 seasons comprising Age 25, 26, & 27 (minimum 1500 plate appearances.)

Rockies talking with Braves about infielder Martin Prado  —  With the Braves open-minded about trading players, the Rockies have contacted them about infielder Martin Prado, according to a major-league source.  —  The Rockies, who scouted Prado extensively last season …

The Mets Could Go From Bad to Dreadful  —  We are conditioned to think of the American League East as baseball's superpower division.  The Yankees and the Boston Red Sox spend lavishly.  The Tampa Bay Rays have made three playoff appearances in the past four seasons.

Yankees looking at Cuban outfielder  —  Yankees pitching guru Rick Williams' arrival in Santo Domingo yesterday created a buzz throughout the scouting fraternity in the Dominican Republic that has been following the workouts of Cuban refugees.  —  However, the Yankees appear to be more interested …