Source: Jorge Posada to retire  —  The “Core Four” is down to two.  —  Posada  —  New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is planning to retire, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.  —  The source told Olney that Posada, 40, is trying to determine the right time to make an announcement …

Revealing my Hall of Fame ballot  —  Barry Larkin, of course, plus nine others, but not Alan Trammell or Bernie Williams  —  Off in the distance, the Steroid Era apocalypse is approaching, only a year away now.  Woo-hoo.  I can hardly wait.  —  Yes, way out there, just beyond the horizon …

Good starting point for Sox is 200 innings  —  The Red Sox were one of seven teams that didn't have a pitcher log 200 innings last year.  They were joined by the Royals, Nationals, Reds, Pirates, Rockies, and Padres.  None of them made the playoffs, and only the Red Sox finished over .500.

Bud Selig's contract as MLB commissioner may be expiring, but don't expect him to go anywhere  —  Selig has $20 million reasons to remain in baseball's highest posistion when deal ends  —  As one former MLB executive says, anyone who thinks Bud Selig is willing to walk away from a $20 million …

Inbox: How high is Pablo's ceiling?  —  What are the chances of Pablo Sandoval or Nate Schierholtz having a breakout year like Kevin Mitchell did?  Mitchell clubbed 47 home runs with 125 RBIs in 1989 after hitting 19 homers the previous season.  —  It's easy to envision Sandoval becoming one of the National League's elite hitters.

Disney family to bid for Dodgers, sources say  —  Stanley Gold, who runs the investment firm for the family of the late Roy Disney, is in talks with investors about buying the Dodgers, sources say.  —  Stanley Gold, right, with the late Roy Disney in 2004.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Reports: Angels, Kendrick agree to extension  —  The Los Angeles Angels made a major splash in free agency at the winter meetings, but Saturday they locked up one of their own.  —  The team and second baseman Howie Kendrick have reached agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $33.5 million, according to multiple reports.

Brewers, Braun will learn his fate before spring training  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  The Milwaukee Brewers will know before the start of spring training whether all-star leftfielder Ryan Braun will be in their lineup on opening day.