Irv Noren, a Bridge Between DiMaggio and Mantle, Dies at 94  —  After a strong rookie year with the Washington Senators, he joined the Yankees to fill an outfield gap.  He won three World Series rings with the team.  —  The Yankees had a problem in the spring of 1952.

Yu Darvish is conflicted over Astros sign-stealing allegations  —  He was like the Olympic athlete who finished fourth, only to learn years later that one or more of the medalists were on steroids.  —  Or the student denied entry into a prestigious university because his place went to the child of parents who bribed school officials.

Watch Cubs' extension talks with Javy Baez, interest in Japanese CF Shogo Akiyama for 2020 insight  —  Shogo Akiyama, hitting against a team of MLB All-Stars last year, is on the Cubs' radar as a potential solution to center field and the top of the order.  Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

Pirates To Name Ben Cherington General Manager  —  Former Red Sox general manager and current Blue Jays senior vice president of baseball operations Ben Cherington has accepted an offer to become the next GM of the Pirates, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter).

Greenbrier International, Inc dba Dollar Tree MARCS-CMS 574706 — November 06, 2019  —  Delivery Method: … Product: … Warning Letter 320-20-07  —  Dear Mr. Philbin:  —  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected your corporate headquarters, Greenbrier International …

Alex Anthopoulos assesses Braves' rotation, bullpen  —  The Braves' offseason shopping list includes retaining third baseman Josh Donaldson (or replacing him), adding another catcher and upgrading their rotation.  They have no shortage of opportunities to do the latter.

Why J.T. Realmuto's contract extension with the Phillies might take some time  —  SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — The Phillies went into this offseason prioritizing a contract extension for All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto.  —  Even as the Phils pursue pitching and possibly a third baseman …

Brewers Claim Eric Yardley  —  The Brewers have claimed righty Eric Yardley off waivers from the Padres, per a club announcement.  While the MLB.com transactions page indicates that Yardley was released, he evidently had not yet cleared release waivers.  —  With the move, the Milwaukee club …

Rangers, Edinson Volquez Discussing Minor League Deal  —  The Rangers are in talks with veteran right-hander Edinson Volquez about a minor league contract, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (via Twitter).  If a deal is reached, Volquez would head to Spring Training in hopes of winning a spot in the team's bullpen.

Cincinnati Reds seeking offensive upgrades in offseason after inconsistent year  —  Sports Pulse: Reporter Bob Nightengale predicts the MLB individual awards  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - When the Reds entered the offseason last year, their big focus was improving their starting pitching …