The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly reached a deal to sign star free agent and MLB World Series champion George Springer.

According to MLB.com and ESPN, the Blue Jays have agreed to a six-year, $150million contract with Houston Astros outfielder Springer, pending a physical.

The emerging Blue Jays, who returned to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016, have been looking to make a splash in free agency as they seek to add experience to an exciting young core of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio, while Toronto also boast the number one right-handed pitching prospect in Nate Pearson.

Toronto had been eyeing the likes of Francisco Lindor and DJ LeMahieu, before the former joined the New York Mets and latter re-signed with American League (AL) rivals the New York Yankees.

But, after recruiting ace Ryu Hyun-jin ahead of the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, the Blue Jays appear to have landed another big fish as they dream of World Series glory for the first time since 1993.

The reported deal to bring Springer – one of the most coveted free agents this offseason – from Houston would be the largest in Toronto's history, eclipsing Vernon Wells' $126m extension in 2006.

A World Series champion and MVP in 2017, Springer tallied a team-high 14 homers, 37 runs, 50 hits and 32 RBIs with a .265 average in 189 at-bats as the Astros reached the AL Championship Series (ALCS) last season.

Since making his MLB debut with the Astros in 2014, two-time Silver Slugger Springer has amassed 174 home runs, 567 runs, 832 hits and 458 RBIs with a .270 average in 3,087 at-bats.

The 31-year-old and three-time All-Star has hit 19 postseason home runs – tied for fourth on the all-time list.

The New York Mets fired general manager Jared Porter on Tuesday, a day after it was reported he sent unsolicited text messages and lewd images to a female reporter in 2016.

The Mets hired the 41-year-old Porter only last month, but new team owner Steven Cohen announced his firing on Twitter.

Cohen wrote: "We have terminated Jared Porter this morning. In my initial press conference I spoke about the importance of integrity and I meant it. There should be zero tolerance for this type of behavior."

In response to a question about the firing of Porter, Cohen added: "No action would of set a poor example to the culture I'm trying to build."

Shortly after Cohen’s tweet, the Mets issued a statement from team president Sandy Alderson.

It read: "The New York Mets have terminated general manager Jared Porter, effective immediately. Jared's actions, as reflected by events disclosed last night, failed to meet the Mets' standards for professionalism and personal conduct."

Porter was the Chicago Cubs' director of professional scouting in 2016 when ESPN said he began sending unsolicited and inappropriate text messages and images to the reporter after meeting her in June of that year.

He has yet to make a public comment on ESPN's allegations.

Porter spent the next four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks as their senior vice president and assistant general manager.

The New York Yankees are reportedly finalising a deal to re-sign second baseman DJ LeMahieu.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, LeMahieu is set to sign a six-year, $90million contract to stay in the Bronx.

That payday follows a stellar second season with the Yankees, who reached the American League Divisional Series but lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.

LeMahieu finished the season with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, leading MLB with a batting average of .364.

He was also first in the American League in on-base percentage (.421) and on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (1.011).

The infielder's efforts saw him finish third in the American League MVP voting and he was the second base silver slugger for the second straight year.

The Yankees are due to begin their spring training schedule on February 27 against the Detroit Tigers. Their regular season is scheduled to get under way on April 1 with a meeting with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tommy Lasorda, who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and became one of the franchise's most beloved and iconic figures, died on Thursday at the age of 93. 

The Dodgers announced Lasorda's death on Friday in a statement. According to the team, he suffered a sudden heart attack on Thursday, just two days after being released from a long hospital stay. 

Lasorda spent 71 years with the Dodgers organisation as a player, scout, coach, manager and front office executive. He retired from managing in 1996 after a 21-year run highlighted by World Series championships in 1981 and 1988. 

"In a franchise that celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda," team president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. "A tireless spokesman for baseball, his dedication to the sport and the team he loved was unmatched. He was a champion who at critical moments seemingly willed his team to victory. The Dodgers and their fans will miss him terribly. 

"Tommy is quite simply irreplaceable and unforgettable."

Lasorda had a short major-league career as a left-handed pitcher with the Dodgers and Kansas City Athletics from 1954-56 before retiring as a player in 1960 and joining the Dodgers as a scout the following year. He later managed several of the organisation’s minor league teams before being promoted to serve as the major league club's bench coach under Hall of Famer Walter Alston in 1973. 

He took over managerial duties following Alston's retirement near the end of the 1976 season and began one of the longest tenures with one team in major league history. He is one of only four skippers, along with Alston and Hall of Famers Connie Mack and John McGraw, to manage the same team for 20 consecutive seasons or more. 

A two-time National League Manager of the Year, Lasorda compiled a 1,599-1,439 overall record and led the Dodgers to seven National League West titles and eight playoff appearances while reaching the World Series four times. He later guided the United States to a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. 

Lasorda moved into a role as the Dodgers' vice president following his retirement in 1996 and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. He had served as a special advisor to the team since 2004 and was present at Texas' Globe Life Field for the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in October that clinched the franchise's first World Series title since his 1988 squad. 

"It feels appropriate that in his final months, he saw his beloved Dodgers win the World Series for the first time since his 1998 team," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest sympathy to his wife of 70 years, Jo, and their entire family, the Dodger organisation and their generations of loyal fans."

Lasorda had been plagued by health issues in recent years. A heart attack led to his retirement from managing in 1996 and he suffered another in 2012. He was admitted to a California hospital with heart-related problems in November and spent several weeks in intensive care before being released earlier this week.  

A native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, Lasorda is survived by his wife, Jo; his daughter, Laura and one granddaughter.

Tommy Lasorda, who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and became one of the franchise's most beloved and iconic figures, died on Thursday at the age of 93. 

The Dodgers announced Lasorda's death on Friday in a statement. According to the team, he suffered a sudden heart attack on Thursday, just two days after being released from a long hospital stay. 

Lasorda spent 71 years with the Dodgers organisation as a player, scout, coach, manager and front office executive. He retired from managing in 1996 after a 21-year run highlighted by World Series championships in 1981 and 1988. 

"In a franchise that celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda," team president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. "A tireless spokesman for baseball, his dedication to the sport and the team he loved was unmatched. He was a champion who at critical moments seemingly willed his team to victory. The Dodgers and their fans will miss him terribly. 

"Tommy is quite simply irreplaceable and unforgettable."

Lasorda had a short major-league career as a left-handed pitcher with the Dodgers and Kansas City Athletics from 1954-56 before retiring as a player in 1960 and joining the Dodgers as a scout the following year. He later managed several of the organisation’s minor league teams before being promoted to serve as the major league club's bench coach under Hall of Famer Walter Alston in 1973. 

He took over managerial duties following Alston's retirement near the end of the 1976 season and began one of the longest tenures with one team in major league history. He is one of only four skippers, along with Alston and Hall of Famers Connie Mack and John McGraw, to manage the same team for 20 consecutive seasons or more. 

A two-time National League Manager of the Year, Lasorda compiled a 1,599-1,439 overall record and led the Dodgers to seven National League West titles and eight playoff appearances while reaching the World Series four times. He later guided the United States to a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. 

Lasorda moved into a role as the Dodgers' vice president following his retirement in 1996 and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. He had served as a special advisor to the team since 2004 and was present at Texas' Globe Life Field for the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in October that clinched the franchise's first World Series title since his 1988 squad. 

"It feels appropriate that in his final months, he saw his beloved Dodgers win the World Series for the first time since his 1998 team," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest sympathy to his wife of 70 years, Jo, and their entire family, the Dodger organisation and their generations of loyal fans."

Lasorda had been plagued by health issues in recent years. A heart attack led to his retirement from managing in 1996 and he suffered another in 2012. He was admitted to a California hospital with heart-related problems in November and spent several weeks in intensive care before being released earlier this week.  

A native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, Lasorda is survived by his wife, Jo; his daughter, Laura and one granddaughter.

Francisco Lindor's time in Cleveland has come to an end, as the Indians moved the four-time All-Star to the New York Mets in a blockbuster six-player trade announced on Thursday. 

The Mets will also receive starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco in the deal, with Cleveland getting infielders Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez and a pair of prospects in pitcher Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene. 

Lindor has been one of the game's premier shortstops, and the face of the Cleveland franchise, since breaking into the majors in 2015. The 27-year-old was the runner-up in voting for the American League's Rookie of the Year in 2015 and has won two Silver Slugger awards as well as a pair of Gold Gloves during his six-year career. 

The Puerto Rico native is set to be a free agent after this season, however, and an inability to agree to terms on a contract extension forced Cleveland to field offers from interested teams. 

Lindor joins a Mets organisation with grand designs under new owner Steve Cohen and who have been one of the more aggressive teams this offseason. New York previously added catcher James McCann and reliever Trevor May in free agency, while pitcher Marcus Stroman accepted an $18.9million qualifying offer to return. 

A career .285 hitter, Lindor has averaged 29 home runs, 86 RBIs and 21 steals over his six major league seasons. 

The Mets also add a valuable piece to the rotation in Carrasco, who went 88-73 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 seasons with Cleveland. The 33-year-old right-hander won 35 games between the 2017 and 2018 seasons before missing most of the 2019 campaign when diagnosed with leukaemia. 

Carrasco successfully fought off the disease to make 12 regular-season starts in 2020, going 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA and winning a second straight AL Comeback Player of the Year award. 

Rosario is the most experienced of the players Cleveland got in return and figures to slot in as Lindor's replacement at shortstop. The 25-year-old's last full season in the majors was a solid one as he batted .287 with 15 homers, 72 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. 

Gimenez, 22, made his major league debut last season and hit .263 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 49 games. 

Wolf and Greene were ranked as the Mets' number nine and number 10 overall prospects by MLB.com. Wolf was a second-round pick by New York in 2019, while Greene was taken in the second round of the 2020 draft and has yet to make his professional debut.