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 …

Rod Barajas Heads to Pittsburgh  —  It figures that it would come about five minutes after I publish a season in review piece, but there's real actual news to attend to: the Pirates have signed Rod Barajas to a one-year deal with a club option for 2013.  This is mildly surprising since Barajas …

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.)

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 …