With lead agent Peter Greenberg traveling internationally this week and not attending the General Managers Meetings in Milwaukee, it appears unlikely that talks for free-agent shortstop Jose Reyes will soon progress to any significant degree.

Boston general manager Ben Cherington confirmed Monday night that Dale Sveum will have his followup meeting with the club Wednesday at the General Managers Meetings in Milwaukee.

Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are virtually guaranteed to finish far behind the leaders in the National League Cy Young Award balloting, which will be announced Thursday.

GM Doug Melvin has begun laying the groundwork to fill one of the most noticeable holes on his roster, shortstop.

Beyond a small monetary addition to Jonathan Papelbon's contract (which works out to about 83 cents per paycheck), the signing announced Monday by the Phillies was not a particularly creative one.

The Dodgers and outfielder Matt Kemp have reached a preliminary agreement on a franchise-record eight-year, $160 million contract extension pending the passing of a physical exam, according to a baseball source.

The Brewers have no plans to add intrigue to their hometown General Managers Meetings by extending a first offer to free-agent slugger Prince Fielder.

Some of the Cardinals' coaching staff is expected to return, but not all of it, under new manager Mike Matheny. The club expects to announce its full roster of coaches by the end of the week, general manager John Mozeliak said Monday.

The agent for reliever Matt Capps said on Monday that the right-hander is one of his most popular clients, drawing interest from such teams such as the Twins and the Mets.

Mike Matheny, formally introduced on Monday as the 49th manager in St. Louis Cardinals history, was in the Dominican Republic when he heard from general manager John Mozeliak on Friday. Mozeliak notified Matheny that he would be receiving the job, but that he needed to keep it quiet for the time being.

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak's leap of faith in hiring Mike Matheny as the club's skipper is a natural consequence of the game's sudden shift toward novice managers.

Theo Epstein and Carlos Zambrano had lunch on Monday, meeting at a Wrigleyville restaurant to get to know each other. The right-hander has said he does not want to retire despite comments made in frustration last August.

Agent Paul Kinzer said on Monday there's no chance Aramis Ramirez will return to the Cubs and that the third baseman was looking for a three- to four-year deal with a new team. Ramirez wants a World Series ring.

Catcher Wilson Ramos and second baseman Danny Espinosa finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, which was announced on Monday afternoon. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel won the award in a unanimous decision.

Though Brewers general manager Doug Melvin would love to squeeze another season out of his hitting coach, he feels that Dale Sveum is ready to be a Major League manager.

Right-hander Michael Ynoa, one of the most highly regarded prospects in the A's system, appears to finally be on the right track since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2010.

As Jonathan Papelbon officially departed the team he was drafted and developed by, and made his name for, he expressed no bitterness.