Arizona Diamondbacks trade Jean Segura to Seattle Mariners for Taijuan Walker  —  Mike Hazen aimed high in his first trade as Diamondbacks' general manager, landing a starting pitcher with potentially sizable upside on Wednesday night when he acquired right-hander Taijuan Walker in a five-player deal …

Braves To Sign Sean Rodriguez  —  12:28pm: Rodriguez's deal is worth $11.5MM total, reports FanRag's Jon Heyman (on Twitter).  Rodriguez will receive a $1.5MM signing bonus and earn $5MM in each of the next two seasons.  —  11:54am: The Braves are in agreement with infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez …

Talks progress for MLB, union with lockout deadline looming  —  Even though a Dec. 1 deadline looms, negotiations toward a new labor deal in Major League Baseball have progressed this week, to the point where sources finally are expressing optimism that an agreement can be reached before owners impose a lockout.

Heyman: Yankees casting wide net on free agent market  —  The Yankees are targeting star free agent closer Aroldis Chapman, but they've checked in on several relievers, the top free-agent starters and a whole host of hitters as they try to improve on their rare off year of 2016.

Kelly: Tim Raines is a poster boy for sports injustice, but his snub doesn't deserve our obsession  —  This week, Chris Bittle, Liberal MP for St. Catharines, addressed an issue of importance to all Canadians.  —  “I rise today to speak of an upcoming ballot,” Bittle told the House of Commons.

Sean O'Sullivan Signs With KBO's Nexen Heroes  —  Righty Sean O'Sullivan has signed on with the Korea Baseball Organization's Nexen Heroes, the team announced (Korean language announcement; h/t Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, via Twitter).  He'll receive a $1.1MM salary.

Daniel Cormier injured, out of UFC 206 main event  —  UFC 206 is need of a new main event.  —  Light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has been forced to withdraw from his Dec. 10 title fight against Anthony Johnson due to an injury, MMA Fighting has confirmed with multiple sources.

Will Stephen Drew return?  And where will the Nationals find power off the bench?  —  When Stephen Drew played in his first season as a National, he played with energy.  He sped around the bases with sneaky speed.  His hands looked quick, his swing looked crisp.

Three-time All-Star won 21 games for 1947 Dodgers  —  Baseball has lost one of the game's enduring gentlemen, who lived for more than 60 years with a most conspicuous yet somewhat unwarranted smudge on his pitching reputation.  Ralph Branca, the losing pitcher in one of baseball's most famous games, is dead at age 90.

LEADOFF: Hart calls SunTrust Park ‘a game changer’ for Braves  —  Good morning.  This is LEADOFF, today's early buzz in Atlanta sports.  —  Braves president of baseball operations John Hart, in an interview on MLB Network this week, suggested SunTrust Park will be a recruiting tool as the team pursues players in the future.

Santa Clara heads for battle with 49ers over Levi's Stadium  —  The San Francisco 49ers, who can't beat anybody these days, are facing an angry opponent this week: their new hometown.  —  Less than two years after abandoning Candlestick Point for the new $1.2 billion Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara …