George Springer doesn't want to re-sign with the Houston Astros, according to a report out of the city.

The Astros will already be without Justin Verlander (Tommy John) in 2021 and they have impending free agents in Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick.

The report that Springer "does not want to return" to Houston, from Patrick Creighton of ESPN 97.5, has not been confirmed by other sources.

The New York Yankees plan to exercise two option years on reliever Zack Britton worth $27 million.

New York will also decline options on Brett Gardner and J.A. Happ. The pair would become free agents.

Gardner would get a $2.5 million buyout rather than a $10 million salary. Happ's deal did not have a buyout.

The Milwaukee Brewers have declined their $15 million option on Ryan Braun's contract for the 2021 season.

Braun is due a $4 million buyout and will become a free agent.

The 37-year-old has said that this year might be his final Major League season.

"I'll take my time in making a decision,'' Braun said in mid-September. "I'll sit down with my family and see where we're at in a couple of months. It's not a decision that I anticipate making right away. I'll take some time to see where I'm at physically, see where things stand baseball specifically and in the world at large before I make a decision about that."

The Los Angeles Angels have interviewed or will interview at least seven candidates for their open general manager job.

The list of candidates includes Oakland Athletics assistant general manager/director of player personnel Billy Owens, San Diego Padres senior advisor/director of player personnel Logan White, Washington Nationals special assistant to the general manager Dan Jennings, Chicago Cubs senior VP for player personnel Jason McLeod, former Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill and two Arizona Diamondbacks executives with the title senior vice president and assistant GM: Amiel Sawdaye and Jared Porter.

The Detroit Tigers are progressing towards a deal to make AJ Hinch their next manager, according to sources.

The deal has not been finalized.

The Houston Astros fired Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow on Jan. 13. Major League Baseball suspended Hinch for the 2020 season, with the suspension ending at the conclusion of the World Series on Tuesday night, for his role in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

A glitch in a graphic file that was emailed to some fans announcing the Chicago White Sox's hiring of Tony La Russa on Thursday contained a signature of AJ Hinch on a picture of La Russa.

The mistake was due to multiple variations of the graphic being prepared for various candidates, according to a team source.

Hinch, the former Houston Astros manager who was suspended for the 2020 season because of the team's sign-stealing scandal, was never interviewed.

The Chicago White Sox have hired Tony La Russa, 76, as manager.

La Russa hasn't served as a major league manager since ending a 16-year run with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

La Russa began his managerial career with the White Sox from 1979 to 1986.

Jerry Reinsdorf fired La Russa 64 games into the 1986 season. La Russa went on to become manager of the Oakland Athletics where he reached the World Series in three straight seasons.

There have been rumors swirling that Tony La Russa could reunite with the Chicago White Sox.

According to a report, the White Sox could make the hire official on Thursday.

La Russa's first managerial job came with Chicago, which he managed from 1979-86 before he moved on to the Oakland Athletics.

This year's six-game World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays received an average television rating 32% below the previous low for a Fall Classic.

The six games on Fox averaged a 5.2 rating, 12 share and 9,785,000 viewers.

The previous low was a 7.6 rating, 12 share and 12,660,000 viewers for the San Francisco Giants' four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers in 2012.

The St. Louis Cardinals have declined Kolten Wong's $12.5 million option for the 2021 season.

Wong, 30, will receive a $1 million buyout. He has spent eight seasons in St. Louis.

"STL will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget all the amazing people who impacted me along the way! Much love," Wong wrote in an Instagram post.

He hit. 265 with a home run and 16 RBIs in 53 games during the pandemic-shortened season.