For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbChristopher Nolan on ‘Interstellar’s’ cosmic success 10 years laterA mystery is unfolding over a single Olive Garden breadstick. On Nov. 16, a TikTok user about an unfortunate extra they received with an order of breadsticks at the popular pasta chain. “Guys, why is there letters on my Olive Garden breadstick?” the user asked. The post consists of a single picture: a hand holding a half-eaten breadstick with the letters “O” and “K” as well as the number “6” in black printed text on its side. The image-based TikTok quickly went viral, amassing more than 4 million views and thousands of comments. “I’ve worked there and I’ve never seen this before 😭,” one user, and another , “How did it happen though?” “They’re from frozen bags so the label must’ve like gotten on that one,” one user . Other commenters who claimed to be or also thought the text was part of the coding on plastic bags that the sticks come in. “it’s like when you do the tongue tattoos with fruit rollups the print stuck onto the bread but just a thought,” one . Others chimed in with similar experiences they had while eating out at restaurants. “THIS HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY WHEN I WAS A KID!!!” one user . “they gave us a pizza w receipt ink on the cheeze we could literally read it all😭😭 we got free dessert.” “One time I had a price tag on the bottom of my egg bite from starbucks,” another , and when the original poster them if they ate it, the user , “I was hungry what can I say.” Neither the TikTok user nor representatives for Olive Garden immediately responded to TODAY.com’s request for comment. But the official Olive Garden account the following on the TikTok: “We are concerned to see this. Can you please send an email to social@olivegarden.com with your full name, and the location you went to?” Four days later, the TikToker and Olive Garden seemingly got in touch over email. Even though every Olive Garden entrée comes with a never-ending first course of soup or salad and breadsticks, the chain gifted the TikToker with a $100 gift card for the error. The user to their account on Nov. 20, four days after their breadstick blunder. “Thank you olive gardens,” the TikToker wrote over a screenshot of an email from Olive Garden. Commenters lauded the chain for its response. One , “Now that’s good service,” and another , “Olive Garden don’t play AROUND.” “How do I get numbers on my breadstick?” someone else . For now, this mystery surrounding the unlimited carb remains unsolved. Washington, D.C. native Joseph Lamour is a lover of food: its past, its present and the science behind it. With food, you can bring opposites together to form a truly marvelous combination, and he strives to take that sentiment to heart in all that he does.
US President-elect Donald Trump's proposals to impose sweeping tariffs on imports could counter earlier efforts to cool inflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday, warning that consumer prices could rise. Her comments at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit come as Trump has vowed broad tariffs of at least 10 percent on all imports, and higher rates on goods from China, Canada and Mexico. Imposing broad-based tariffs could "raise prices significantly for American consumers and create cost pressures on firms" which rely on imported goods, Yellen said when asked about Trump's plans. She cautioned that this could weigh on the competitiveness of certain sectors and increase costs to households. "This is a strategy I worry could derail the progress that we've made on inflation, and have adverse consequences on growth," she said. But she defended efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to impose targeted tariffs on Chinese goods to counter unfair trade practices by Beijing. She has previously raised concern over China's industrial overcapacity -- which risks a flood of underpriced goods into global markets and could undermine the development of key US industries. On Tuesday, Yellen also expressed regret that the United States has not made more progress on the country's deficit, saying she believes it "needs to be brought down, especially now that we're in an environment of higher interest rates." She stressed the importance of an independent Federal Reserve too, saying that countries perform better economically when central banks are allowed to exercise their best judgment without political influence. Trump has said that he would like "at least" a say over setting the Fed's interest rate. "I think it's a mistake to become involved in commenting on the Fed and certainly taking steps to compromise its independence," said Yellen. "I believe it tends to undermine the confidence of financial markets and, ultimately, of Americans in an important institution," she added. Yellen noted that she has spoken with Trump's Treasury chief nominee, billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, congratulating him on his nomination. bys/bjt
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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — PGA Tour rookie Patrick Fishburn played bogey-free for an 8-under 64 for his first lead after any round. Joel Dahmen was 10 shots behind and had a bigger cause for celebration Friday in the RSM Classic. Dahmen made a 5-foot par putt on his final hole for a 2-under 68 in tough conditions brought on by the wind and cold, allowing him to make the cut on the number and get two more days to secure his PGA Tour card for next year. He is No. 124 in the FedEx Cup. “I still got more to write this weekend for sure,” said Dahmen, who recently had said his story is not yet over. “But without having the opportunity to play this weekend, my story would be a lot shorter this year.” Fishburn took advantage of being on the easier Plantation course, with trees blocking the brunt of the wind and two additional par 5s. He also was helped by Maverick McNealy, who opened with a 62 on the tougher Seaside course, making two bogeys late in his round and having to settle for a 70. Fishburn, who already has locked up his card for next year, was at 11-under 131 and led McNealy and Lee Hodges (63) going into the weekend. Michael Thorbjornsen had a 69 and was the only player who had to face Seaside on Friday who was among the top five. What mattered on this day, however, was far down the leaderboard. The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the PGA Tour season, and only the top 125 in the FedEx Cup have full status in 2025. That's more critical than ever with the tour only taking the top 100 for full cards after next season. Players like Dahmen will need full status to get as many playing opportunities as they can. That explains why he felt so much pressure on a Friday. He didn't make a bogey after his opening hole and was battling temperatures in the low 50s that felt even colder with the wind ripping off the Atlantic waters of St. Simons Sound. He made a key birdie on the 14th, hitting a 4-iron for his second shot on the 424-yard hole. Dahmen also hit wedge to 2 feet on the 16th that put him on the cut line, and from the 18th fairway, he was safely on the green some 40 feet away. But he lagged woefully short, leaving himself a testy 5-footer with his job on the line. “It was a great putt. I was very nervous,” Dahmen said. “But there's still work to do. It wasn't the game-winner, it was like the half-court shot to get us to halftime. But without that, and the way I played today, I wouldn't have anything this weekend.” His playing partners weren't so fortunate. The tour put three in danger of losing their cards in the same group — Zac Blair (No. 123), Dahmen and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). The cut was at 1-under 141. Blair and Bryan came to the 18th hole needing birdie to be assured of making the cut and both narrowly missed. Now they have to wait to see if anyone passes them, which is typically the case. Thorbjornsen in a tie for fourth and Daniel Berger (66 at Plantation) in a tie for 17th both were projected to move into the top 125. Dahmen, indeed, still has work to do. Fishburn gets a weekend to see if he can end his rookie year with a win. “I've had a lot of experience playing in cold growing up in Utah, playing this time of year, kind of get used to playing when the body’s not moving very well and you’ve got to move your hands,” said Fishburn, who played college golf at BYU. “Just pretty happy with how I played.” Ludvig Aberg, the defending champion and No. 5 player in the world competing for the first time in more than two months because of knee surgery, bounced back with a 64 on Plantation and was back in the mix. Aberg played with Luke Clanton, the Florida State sophomore who looks like he belongs each week. Clanton, the No. 1 player in the world amateur ranking who received a sponsor exemption, had a 65 at Plantation and was two shots off the lead. Clanton already has a runner-up and two other top 10s since June. “Playing with him, it's pretty awesome to watch,” Clanton said. “We were kind of fanboying a little it. I know he's a really good dude but to be playing with him and to see what he's done over the last couple years, it's pretty inspirational.” ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf The Associated Press
Dodgers brutally troll Aaron Judge and the Yankees with $25K swipe month on from World Series READ MORE: New Mets star Juan Soto sends Aaron Judge a message By JAKE NISSE and LEOCCIANO CALLAO Published: 23:32, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 23:46, 12 December 2024 e-mail 13 shares View comments Six weeks after the Dodgers' World Series triumph over the Yankees, LA have trolled their opponents by putting a brutal piece of memorabilia up for auction. In the series-clinching Game 5 win over the Yankees, the Dodgers evened the game with a memorable five-run fifth inning - and a dropped fly ball by Aaron Judge helped that comeback gain momentum earlier in the frame. Now, the Dodgers are auctioning off that ball hit by Tommy Edman, with the current bid set at a whopping $25,000. An online listing for the ball at LA Auctions, the team's official auction site, shows that 85 bids have been lodged for the piece of baseball history. Bidding opened on December 2 and closes at 8pm ET on Thursday. Aside from the Dodgers' World Series reminder, it's been a tough week for the Yankees as they lost out on prized free agent Juan Soto. The Dodgers trolled the Yankees by placing Aaron Judge's dropped fly ball up for auction The moment occurred in the top of the fifth inning in Game 5, and helped spur an LA comeback Judge had a difficult postseason and saw his team lose the World Series in five games After playing last season in the Bronx and reaching the World Series, Soto decided to move across town and sign a 15-year, $765million deal with the Mets . In his introductory press conference with his new team on Thursday, Soto revealed that he hasn't contacted the Yankees since taking his talents to Citi Field in Queens. 'I haven't talked to any of those guys,' Soto told the press. 'We talked to them through [the] playoffs and at the end of the playoffs. Read More BREAKING NEWS Yankees 'sign $218m superstar in record-breaking deal... just days after Juan Soto joined Mets 'At the end of that, I make this process. I haven't talked to any of those [guys].' When asked if he expects to speak to Judge and others soon, Soto responded, 'Yes, why not?' 'At the end of the day, we're still friends, we're still cool,' he continued. Whatever happens, it's just business. The relationship that we created last year will stay forever.' The deal contains a full no-trade clause, a $75m signing bonus, an opt-out after five seasons, and no deferred money. The Mets team can void Soto’s opt-out clause after the 2029 season if they boost the average annual value of the final 10 years of his deal from $51m to $55m, per MLB.com. New York Yankees LA Dodgers Share or comment on this article: Dodgers brutally troll Aaron Judge and the Yankees with $25K swipe month on from World Series e-mail 13 shares Add commentPASSENGERS face Christmas travel hell as Labour’s bumper pay deal for train drivers looks set to ramp up staff shortages. Rail minister Lord Hendy admitted concerns over looming disruption as train operators scramble to fill shifts. He told MPs the transport department will “keep a close watch on staffing” throughout the holidays . Services are heavily reliant on volunteers to work Sundays, but many are refusing after a huge pay rise from former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh. The deal , signed off this summer, was backdated to 2022 and paid in a lump sum. It pushed some drivers’ salaries past £69,000 — leaving little incentive to take extra work. read more on politics A rail industry insider told The Sun: “Louise Haigh’s deal gave train drivers a massive above-inflation pay rise and now they can spend Christmas with families instead of picking up extra shifts.” Asked if the bumper settlement was the right decision, the PM ’s spokesman said: “Any disruption is something we would hope could be avoided, but as we have said many times, economic stability is a precursor to growth, and without public services being reformed, we cannot achieve that... “We can’t simply spend our way to better public services, and that’s why reform is an essential pillar of this government’s agenda.” Disruption will be worsened by Avanti West Coast train managers voting to walk out on December 22, 23 and 29. Most read in The SunSuperstar Olympian Maher joins Bristol in blockbuster deal