5 slots meaning
Rep. Michelle Steel , a two-term incumbent in California’s 45th congressional district, appears to have conceded to Derek Tran Wednesday afternoon after a long slog of a race that is one of the nation’s closest remaining contests yet to be called. “From the moment I came to the United States, I knew that giving back to the country that welcomed me with open arms would be part of my future,” said Steel, who made history in 2020 as one of the first Korean American women to be elected to Congress. “The journey to work on behalf of legal immigrants and struggling families took me somewhere I never could have imagined — and for which I will always be grateful — the United States Congress,” she said. “Everything is God’s will and, like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin.” Tran’s lead over Steel on Tuesday edged up to 613 votes in the district that spans Los Angeles and Orange counties, continuing a trend that started last week when the Orange-based Democrat outpaced the Republican from Seal Beach. The race is one of two congressional contests in California and one of three nationally that have yet to be called. The outcomes of those three races will determine the size of the Republican Party’s advantage in the House. Tran declared victory Monday evening , saying the “victory is a testament to the spirit and resilience of our community. As the son of Vietnamese refugees, I understand firsthand the journey and sacrifices many families in our district have made for a better life.” He was vying to become the first Vietnamese American to represent the country’s largest Vietnamese community in Congress. Both Steel and Tran have already filed paperwork to run in the district again in 2026.Did Magaly send a hint to ‘Peluchín’?: “I’m not going to tolerate being called corrupt”Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief” and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America’s dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise” speech, even though he never used that word. READ MORE: Rosalynn Carter, outspoken former first lady, dies at 96 After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter’s diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta. Bill Barrow, The Associated Press
Soccer-FIFA Club World Cup 2025 teamsIn need of a cosy place to take a break from the bustle of Colchester? This independent and family run bakery and café is a wonderful spot for a coffee and a snack. Just a short walk from the high street in Red Lion Yard, this is certainly an easy to access choice for a visitor to the city centre. A huge variety of cakes and other baked goods that can be bought in the café or online and collected; the temptations of the bakery will likely be a threat to your bank account. On my visit I ordered a delicious cranberry flapjack: the flavour was well balanced between rich and light, and a good price. However, I would say that it was slightly too large for one person and it was very filling, so maybe bring a friend. The atmosphere was very peaceful, warm and welcoming – contrasting the busy high street in a way that immediately relaxes you. The décor was intriguing: a detail which gives it an edge over more sparsely decorated locations, in addition to a unique charm that I have not seen anywhere else in the city. In addition to the fantastic bakery the other reason for your visit should of course be the drinks – of which there are many to choose from. I first ordered a latte which was reasonably priced and well made, although I did find the mug slightly uncomfortable to hold. The second drink I ordered a cortado – a coffee I had never ordered before but I think this was definitely a good example and would been keen to have one again – and it was delicious and similarly well priced. I would note that if you are looking for somewhere to work or study, I would not recommend Victoria Yum as the tables are small and it functions more as a social space. However, overall, I would recommend that everyone makes a visit to Victoria Yum, it is a fabulous bakery and café and blows the competition around it out of the water.
MLB GMs apparently realized they had holiday plans, prompting a surge of activity in the days before Christmas. On the heels of a major first base shakeup that saw Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, Josh Naylor, Carlos Santana and Nate Lowe change hands, two of the top remaining starting pitchers have come off the board, with Sean Manaea returning to the Mets and Walker Buehler joining the Red Sox. Scott White and Chris Towers are here to guide you through the transactions of real consequence for Fantasy Baseball. This is the place where we'll react to them as they happen, breaking down what they mean for 2025 drafts. So bookmark this page and keep checking back. As the news comes in, you'll be glad you have one stop for keeping track of it all. Gleyber Torres signs with the Tigers In some ways, this one is fairly straightforward: The Tigers are an ascending team with some self-imposed financial restraints, so they're taking a cheap, one-year flier on Torres bouncing back. Torres stumbled in 2024, hitting just .257/.330/.378 with 1.7 fWAR, but he had been a solid mid-.700s-to-low-.800s bat in the previous two seasons. He'll be 28 and looking to set himself up for a big contract next offseason, though he'll be doing that in a worse lineup and home park, which certainly isn't ideal. Torres remains in the low-end starting 2B range with the potential for a bounceback, but even at a relatively weak position, you'd probably rather have more of a sure thing as your starter. But if Torres can get back to being a 20-ish homer threat with double-digit steals, he can be a very fine middle infield option at a discount. The more interesting wrinkle here is what it means for the rest of the Tigers infield. Team president Scott Harris told reporters in the aftermath of the signing that Torres will play second base, with Colt Keith shifting over to first base. Whether that means he will supplant, compete, or share time with Spencer Torkelson remains to be seen, but at this point, it's not clear either should be handed a job; Torkelson found himself back in Triple-A for part of last season amid a .219/.295/.374 line in the majors, while Keith barely managed any better, hitting .260/.309/.380. So, I'm guessing this is an open competition, and neither should be viewed as much more than a late-round flier even in deeper leagues. Then there's this: The Tigers actually somehow managed to get even worse production from two other infield spots in 2024. The team's shortstops managed to hit just .190/.237/.315, while their third basemen hit .234/.294/.349. The offseason isn't over, but as of now, it doesn't look like they're making any attempt to upgrade over Javier Baez, perhaps with the hope he can improve enough over the next two seasons to give top prospect Kevin McGonigle a chance to stay on the fast track to the majors. And the Tigers seem likely to give recent top prospect Jace Jung another chance at the hot corner despite an underwhelming 34-game debut in 2024. Which is all to say, despite his underwhelming 2024, Torres might be the most interesting Fantasy option of this group. They need someone – and probably multiple someones – to step forward to repeat last year's miracle run to the playoffs (Unless they decide to make another splash in free agency and sign Alex Bregman, something they were rumored to be interested in before the Torres signing.) Walker Buehler signs with Red Sox Buehler gets a nice $21.05 million payday even though his return from a second Tommy John surgery last season could only be described as disastrous. So why the vote of confidence? Things turned around for him in the postseason as his sweeper picked up several inches of horizontal break. The eye-opener was Game 3 of the NLCS against the Mets, when he struck out six over four shutout innings while piling up 18 swinging strikes. He ended the postseason with 10 consecutive scoreless innings, surrendering just five hits and striking out 13. It was a tiny sample, which is probably why he was only able to secure a one-year deal, but it was enough to give us (and apparently the Red Sox) hope that his second Tommy John surgery wasn't as ruinous as it first seemed. Buehler won't be a top target on Draft Day, but he's certain to get some late-round looks. --Scott White Joc Pederson signs with Rangers After swapping out Nathaniel Lowe for Jake Burger at first base in two separate moves, the Rangers continued to tweak their lineup by landing a new DH (at least against right-handed pitchers) on a two-year, $37 million deal. This represents a raise for Pederson after an impressive season with the Diamondbacks in which he delivered a career-best .908 OPS. The 32-year-old is well traveled and does pretty much the same thing no matter where he goes, so you can pencil him in for another decent batting average along with 20 homers or so. Because he's a strict platoon player, it's not as valuable as it may seem for Fantasy, but he's useful in a streaming capacity and in leagues that allow for daily lineup changes. His signing presumably makes Leody Taveras no longer a regular part of the Rangers lineup, though he'll be available off the bench if Evan Carter struggles to stay healthy again. --Scott White Sean Manaea signs with Mets Manaea was inspired by Chris Sale to drop his release point toward the end of last season, and the transformation was both immediate and striking. He threw seven two-hit innings with 11 strikeouts in his first outing with the new delivery and went on to post a 3.09 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in his final 12 starts, his swinging-strike rate climbing to 14 percent after being 11 percent in his first 20 starts. Typically when a 30-something with an established track record has an uncharacteristic stretch of dominance, you should chalk it up to statistical variance and take it with a grain of salt, but because a dramatic mechanical change prompted this particular transformation, it could have staying power. The Mets, who reaped the benefits of it last season, clearly felt comfortable doubling down, signing Manaea to a three-year $75 million deal Monday. He makes for an advisable roll of the dice after the top 40 starting pitchers are gone. --Scott White Jesus Luzardo traded to Phillies While Philadelphia is considered to be a much tougher place to pitch than Miami, it's all academic until we're sure Luzardo is healthy again. The left-hander didn't pitch after June 16 last because of a lumbar stress reaction and wasn't particularly effective for the 12 starts he did make, averaging 1.5 mph less on his fastball than in 2023. It wasn't a total collapse, however. His slider and changeup both still had better than a 40 percent whiff rate, and his 13.7 percent swinging-strike rate would have ranked ninth among qualifiers. But he tends to get hit hard and, judging from the ups and downs in his career, probably can't afford to pitch in a diminished state. I ranked him just outside my top 60 starting pitchers prior to this trade, and the tradeoff between venue and supporting cast is probably a wash. Unfortunately, this trade likely ends Andrew Painter's candidacy for a rotation spot this spring. An injury to Luzardo or someone else could reopen the door, of course, but as things currently stand, the Phillies have a strong 1-5 without Painter. The 21-year-old lit up the Arizona Fall League in his return from Tommy John surgery and is among the top pitching prospects in baseball, but a delayed deployment might be in his best interest anyway. As for what the Marlins are getting back in this deal, the biggest piece is shortstop Staryn Caba, a top-100 prospect according to some publications. His glove is the real selling point, though, with much development still ahead of him as a hitter. --Scott White Nathaniel Lowe traded to the Nationals So, in the end, it's Jake Burger replacing Lowe in Texas, as the Rangers cleared up an apparent log jam at first base with this move. It makes the path to everyday playing time a bit clearer for both Lowe and Burger, which is the biggest takeaway here. I've been out on Burger at his 120-ish ADP in NFC drafts even before he was sent to Texas, but this does make that pessimism a little harder to justify, since the Rangers don't really have an obvious alternative at first base/DH if Burger gets off to a slow start. He's a solid low-end starter at the first base position for Fantasy, with big power upside and decent run production potential in a very good Rangers lineup, though given his poor on-base skills and defense, I still think there's an extremely low floor here. Lowe is back in the CI discussion with this trade. The Nationals were reportedly in on some of the free agent first basemen, but will settle for Lowe, who had a decent season in 2024 despite hitting for little power. His 121 wRC was actually the second-best of his career, but Lowe is probably a better hitter in real life than in Fantasy given his limited power and average upside. He has hit right around .265 in three of the past four seasons, with a walk rate north of 12% and between 16 and 18 homers; the exception is 2022, when he had 27 homers and a .302 average. That's the clear outlier here, and Lowe is probably best served hitting at the top of the lineup rather than in a run production spot. He's a decent CI option – better in OBP leagues – but he's a fringe starter unless he taps into that power a bit more consistently. --Chris Towers Carlos Santana signs with Guardians And so the other shoe falls. Not long after shipping Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks, the Guardians sign his replacement in Carlos Santana, who of course has a long history in Cleveland and would appear to have something left in the tank heading into his age-39 season. Of course, at that age, you halfway expect his production to drop off a cliff, so it's a little surprising to see a contender with so little margin for error put so much trust in him. Theoretically, Kyle Manzardo could shift from DH to first base if Santana falters, but this signing at least confirms that Santana will have a full-time job to begin 2025. And considering he was last year's 18th-best first baseman in 5x5 leagues and 13th-best in points leagues (always his better format), he's likely (or at least halfway likely) to be of some use in Fantasy even if he's not a prime draft target. --Scott White Josh Naylor traded to Diamondbacks Whoa. There were reports Naylor might be on the move this offseason, and the Diamondbacks are a logical destination given that they just lost Christian Walker in free agency. But the return (right-hander Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick) seems a little light for a 27-year-old who emerged as an All-Star and impact Fantasy bat last year, even if he's poised to become a free agent at season's end. In any case, this move should theoretically hurt Naylor given that Chase Field rates as the worst home run venue for left-handed hitters over the past three seasons, but Statcast estimates that he'd have hit just two fewer home runs if he played every game there last season and that he'd actually have one more if he played every game there for his entire career. Other left-handed batters like Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte (a switch-hitter, technically) have made it work, so I'd say Naylor's stock holds steady with this deal. I also think he has some untapped upside given the mismatch between his consistently low strikeout rate and typically blah batting average. Some of that mismatch is owed to his tendency to put the ball on the ground, but his 2023 season, when he hit .308 with a .293 xBA, is the dream. I ranked Naylor sixth among first basemen -- just ahead of the man he's replacing, Walker -- prior to this trade, and I'm inclined to rank him there still. --Scott White Paul Goldschmidt signs with the Yankees The Yankees are betting on a bounceback from the 37-year-old Goldschmidt, who figures to be the team's everyday first baseman on the one-year deal. And Goldschmidt still does some things very well, sporting well above average quality of contact metrics in 2024, including an 82nd percentile average exit velocity of 91.2 mph and a 92nd percentile hard-hit rate of 49.6%. Goldschmidt's expected wOBA on contact in 2024 was .423, the worst mark he has posted since 2016, but still solidly above average – and it should play up even more in Yankee Stadium, a better park for power than his old home in St. Louis. The problem is, Goldschmidt might be at the point where he has to cheat to get to that power he once came by so easily. His strikeout rate ballooned to a career-high 26.5%, with his underlying plate discipline metrics all moving in the wrong direction, too – he was making worse swing decisions and making contact less often when he swung. That's a bad sign, and one you can't necessarily bet on improving as he nears 40. This is a mild park upgrade and a solid lineup upgrade for Goldschmidt, and it probably improves his chances of that bounce-back season the Yankees are hoping for. And, for what it's worth, Goldschmidt was better down the stretch, sporting a .379 xwOBA over his final 100 PA, compared to a .329 mark for the season as a whole -- and he cut his strikeout rate to 23% in September, too. Goldschmidt is no longer a good bet as your starting 1B in Fantasy, but as a corner infielder in a Roto league, he's a decent bet around the 15th round or so in drafts. --Chris Towers Christian Walker signs with the Astros The Astros continued the on-the-fly remake of their corner infield – and seemingly foreclosed the possibility of a reunion with free agent Alex Bregman – with the signing of Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal. It feels like a surprisingly light number for a player of Walker's caliber until you remember he will be 34 a few days after Opening Day, though he hasn't shown any real signs of aging so far. Walker has actually been remarkably consistent over the past three seasons, posting an OPS+ between 125 and 121, with a triple-slash line of .251/.335/.468 in 2024. An oblique injury during the summer limited him to 130 games, but he was otherwise on pace for another 30-homer season, finishing with 26, along with 84 RBI and 72 runs. Walker is the platonic ideal of a solid starting Fantasy first baseman -- hardly a superstar, but not someone you ever have to think about upgrading from -- though his value to the Astros is a little greater thanks to three consecutive Gold Gloves. A right-handed hitter, Walker isn't quite as likely to benefit from the short porch in left field as new teammate Isaac Paredes, but it's still a nice landing spot for him – if Walker had played every game in Houston over the past three seasons, he would have hit 96 homers, a slight upgrade over the 93 he would have hit playing every game in Arizona. It's not necessarily a lineup upgrade leaving the league leader in runs last season, but the proximity to Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez makes it a fine landing spot, too. Walker is at the age where you can reasonably downgrade him for some age-related risk, but we just haven't seen any sign of that coming – in fact, 2024 saw his highest average exit velocity since a brief 2017 cameo. Walker has been going off draft boards around 100th overall in early drafts, and he belongs in that third tier of first baseman – ahead of Spencer Steer and Vinnie Pasquantino, while whether you take him ahead of Josh Naylor or Triston Casas will mostly come down to personal taste. --Chris Towers Max Kepler signs with Phillies Kepler has long been a player who Fantasy Baseballers have believed was oh so close to finding another gear -- so long, in fact, that this move to one of the most hitter-friendly venues in baseball may be coming too late. He's on the wrong side of 30 and saw a sharp decline in production last season after hitting .260 with 24 homers and an .816 OPS in 2023. But 2024 also saw him hit a ball as hard as 115.4 mph, tying a career-high and putting him in the top 5 percent in baseball. His strikeout rate came down a little, and his zone-contact rate was still verging on 90 percent, an elite mark. Not bad! On the other hand, his walk rate was a career-low and his chase rate a career-high, so I suspect he was pressing to make up for the time lost to knee injuries. Or perhaps he never felt quite right. In any case, if the knee issues are behind him (a big if, granted), he has a reasonable chance to bounce back in his new surroundings, offering the upside for 25-30 homers as long as he plays every day. And you can get him late even in five-outfielder leagues. --Scott White Michael Soroka signs with Nationals I hesitated to include this transaction in the Offseason Tracker because Soroka is such an afterthought in Fantasy, but the fact the Nationals signed him to work as a starter and are paying him a healthy sum to do so ($9 million) bolsters my belief that he may be a sleeper of sorts. He's had to reinvent himself after two Achilles surgeries and nearly three full years out of baseball, but his efforts began to bear fruit over his final 15 appearances last season. Working as a multi-inning reliever, he put together a 1.95 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and an incredible 15.3 K/9 rate. He was more of a sinkerballer prior to the injuries and had fared well with that approach, but he's learned to lean heavily on his slider, throwing it more than 40 percent of the time during that successful stretch. Both it and his fastball also have a different movement profile than before. Whether those fixes translate over a starter's workload remains to be seen, but the Nationals are showing enough confidence that we should at least consider the possibility as our drafts are winding down. --Scott White Cody Bellinger traded to Yankees It's a remarkably straightforward trade: Bellinger (and $5 million) for middle reliever Cody Poteet. Yep, that's it. I'm not sure anything has fundamentally changed about Bellinger between 2023 and 2024. His production was worse, of course, as he dipped from an .881 OPS in 2023 to a .751 mark in 2024. But the fundamentals of his game didn't change very much. It's not unreasonable to expect better in 2025 now that he's going to be calling Yankee Stadium home for half of his games. To find out why, check out my full-length article . --Chris Towers Tomoyuki Sugano signs with Orioles The 35-year-old Sugano has had an illustrious career in Japan, twice winning that league's version of the Cy Young award and also capturing four ERA titles. One look at last year's numbers would suggest he's not slowing down, but the radar gun tells a different story, clocking his fastball in the low 90s rather than the mid-90s. Clearly, he's made it work for him, though, through pinpoint control and a confident mix of six different pitches, the splitter being the best. Other pitchers from the not-so-distant past have come over from Japan to make an impact in their mid-30s, with Hiroki Kuroda and Hisashi Iwakuma being two prominent examples, and the Orioles' $13 million commitment to Sugano suggests they're confident he can do the same. Understand, though, that if he succeeds, it would be in an understated, Michael Wacha sort of way rather than as a big bat-misser. --Scott White Jeffrey Springs traded to Athletics Springs returned from Tommy John surgery to make only seven starts last season before elbow fatigue set in, shutting him down for the final month or so. Even when he was healthy (presuming he actually was), his average fastball velocity was down about 2 mph, and seeing as a contender just traded him to a non-contender, it's reasonable to wonder if he's damaged goods. The Rays got back a couple interesting players in return, but no top prospects. The most notable is Joe Boyle, a right-hander with scintillating stuff but massive control problems that he still hasn't figured out by age 25. Having said all that, Springs did perform reasonably well even with the diminished velocity in those seven starts and had a 2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 in his transition to the starting role in 2022. There's upside here, but between the poor supporting cast and considerable health concerns, Springs drops outside of the top 60 starting pitchers for me. --Scott White Kyle Tucker traded to Cubs It's fair to say this one rises to the level of blockbuster. Anytime a genuine first-round Fantasy talent is on the move, that's the case. But what it means for Tucker's own Fantasy value is minimal. Rather than the headliner, it's the downstream effects of this deal that matter most for Fantasy. You may wonder what happens to Isaac Paredes, one of the players headed to the Astros, or Pete Crow-Armstrong, the player Tucker is theoretically replacing in Chicago. You may also wonder who takes over at third base for the Cubs. Well, I have the answers for you, and you can read all about them in my full-length article . --Scott White Devin Williams traded to Yankees The Yankees addressed their bullpen needs in the biggest way possible, acquiring former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams in a trade with the Brewers. Williams pitched just 21.2 innings last season after recovering from a back injury, but he looked like his typically dominant self when healthy, putting up a 1.25 ERA while striking out 43% of opposing batters. Williams will step into the ninth inning role for a team that figures to still easily clear 90 wins despite losing Soto, making him one of the best bets for saves in Fantasy, and an easy top-three closer. And he might be No. 1 or No. 2, given his strikeout upside. Of course, it's bad news for Luke Weaver, the breakout star of the Yankees bullpen in the second half of 2024. Weaver stepped up amid Clay Holmes' struggles, eventually becoming the team's go-to fireman in September and then the playoffs. He'll still be Fantasy relevant in deeper categories leagues thanks to his 100-strikeout upside and contingent value as the No. 2 man on a good team, but he goes from a potential top-12 closer to just a ratios specialist and win/save vulture for as long as Williams is healthy. That can still be a valuable role – Williams was a viable Fantasy option himself back when he was setting Josh Hader up – but he now needs something to go wrong for Williams to have must-start upside. On the Brewers side of things, this should push Trevor Megill back to Fantasy relevance. He wasn't nearly as dominant as Williams when he filled in as the team's closer last season, but he more than got the job done, putting up a 2.72 ERA and 1.014 WHIP with 50 strikeouts in 46.1 innings of work. He isn't the most proven closer around, but he did close out 21 games in 2024, and should be at the front of the line, ahead of the likes of Joel Payamps. Megill is a top-20 closer for sure, and worth drafting in all formats for saves. --Chris Towers Nestor Cortes, Caleb Durbin traded to the Brewers Cortes is a perfectly viable No. 4 starter, the kind the Brewers tend to build their whole rotation out of when they don't have a home-grown ace to lean on. When things are going right, he does a good job limiting damage on contact, while garnering enough strikeouts to have stretches as a legitimate must-start pitcher. But he doesn't have premium stuff even at his best, and some nagging injuries over the past couple of years have kept him far from his best, which made him more of a low-end option for Fantasy for much of last season. In another mediocre park for pitching, Cortes is probably just a late-round target, though at least this trade does seem to guarantee him a rotation spot — something he may not have had in New York. Durbin isn't much of a prospect by traditional ranks, but he has started to garner some hype in fantasy circles after stealing 29 bases in 24 games in the Arizona Fall League. Durbin's is a speed-and-contact oriented profile, and he'll fit right in on a Brewers team with several comparable options. He might be redundant on a team with Brice Turang, unless the Brewers are willing to slide the Platinum Glover over to shortstop. If they are, Durbin could have an Opening Day lineup spot on a team that is willing to run a lot, so he could certainly matter in category leagues. Or he could be another part-time player on a roster full of them. He's a fringe-y enough talent that an everyday role is not guaranteed. —Chris Towers Garrett Crochet traded to Red Sox Crochet pitched like an absolute ace in 2024, with a merely decent 3.58 ERA hiding near-best-in-league peripherals. He looked like a legitimate ace, and I don't have much question about the talent level, assuming he stays healthy. In return, the White Sox score a big prospect haul that includes catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. For more on them and Crochet's transition to the Red Sox, check out my full-length article . --Chris Towers Jake Burger traded to Rangers Burger brings plenty of power, but that's about it. It wasn't a problem when he played for the White Sox and Marlins, who were desperate to fill out their lineup with anything worthwhile, but the threshold for playing time is much higher with the Rangers. Perhaps he's insurance for another Josh Jung injury at third base. Perhaps he's a platoon partner for Nathaniel Lowe at first. Perhaps he's a part-time DH for those days when Leody Taveras' bat just isn't cutting it in center field. More likely, Burger is all of the above, but whether that'll amount to full-time at-bats is hard to say as of now. So while the lineup and venue improve for Burger, I'm inclined to downgrade him somewhat due to the uncertainty of the role, dropping him behind names like Paul Goldschmidt and Ryan Mountcastle at first base and Nolan Arenado and Josh Jung at third. --Scott White Andres Gimenez to Blue Jays, Spencer Horwitz to Pirates in three-team deal This one is technically more of a flip since all three of the Pirates' contributions to the deal (Luis Ortiz, Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy) are going to the Guardians, but since Horwitz didn't even have time to pack his bags, I'll call it a three-team deal. The most Fantasy-relevant player on the move is Gimenez. His arrival in Toronto is a little disappointing for Will Wagner, Davis Schneider and Orelvis Martinez, all interesting players who might have pushed Horwitz for playing time but won't overtake Gimenez. Horwitz himself would seem to be the big winner, presuming the Pirates give him full run at first base (he was stretched at second, and the Pirates have ample alternatives there). The 27-year-old is a bat-control specialist who showed surprising power as a rookie and could approach 20 homers with a .280 or so batting average if given ample runway. As for Gimenez, his value doesn't change much. There may be a slight park downgrade, though not enough to change his power output meaningfully. He's my No. 14 second baseman in 5x5 scoring and No. 15 in points. One sneaky aspect of this deal is that the Guardians seem to think Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in this past year's draft, is close to major league-ready. By flipping Horwitz, they've left themselves without an obvious starter at second base, and while it probably won't be Bazzana to start out, there's a good chance it will be by season's end. --Scott White Nathan Eovaldi signs with Rangers We already have a pretty good idea how things will play out for Eovaldi in Texas seeing as he spent the past two years there. It was, in fact, the best two-year stretch of his career, which is why he was rewarded with a three-year, $75 million deal. He remains a hard-thrower at age 34, and that ample velocity, while driving his success, can be difficult to sustain over the full major-league calendar, which makes for a bumpy ride at times. So there will be stretches when Eovaldi looks better than his mid-to-high-threes ERA and stretches when he looks worse, but the end result will be respectable ratios with a quality win total because of how deep he works into games when healthy. I rank Eovaldi just inside my top 60 pitchers for 2025. --Scott White Max Fried signs with Yankees Having just lost Juan Soto to the crosstown rival Mets, the Yankees pivoted in a big way Tuesday, agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million contract with former Braves ace Max Fried. It's the largest ever guaranteed contract for a left-handed pitcher, and on the surface anyway, it's a nice fit. But here's where I point out that this free agent deal, like every other free agent deal, is pending a physical, and while normally that's a matter of crossing t's and dotting i's, I can't shake the feeling that there might be a hiccup in Fried's case. For the complete lowdown, check out my full-length article . --Scott White Yimi Garcia signs with Blue Jays This signing matters for Fantasy only because the Blue Jays are lacking a tried-and-true closer after non-tendering Jordan Romano (who has since signed with the Phillies). You may remember Garcia got the first chance to fill-in as closer when Romano was sidelined by injury last season and fared well enough in the role, but then the Blue Jays dealt him to Seattle, where he developed his own elbow troubles. Healthy now, Garcia could claim the closer role from Chad Green, who spent longer in it last season but also had a curiously low strikeout rate, or the Blue Jays could opt to bring in someone more established still. It's an evolving situation, but if nothing else, we can say Garcia has landed in a spot where he has a chance for saves. --Scott White Thairo Estrada signs with Rockies The Rockies had an opening at second base after non-tendering Brendan Rodgers and will fill it with Estrada on a one-year, $3.25 million deal. The modest terms would suggest he's merely a bridge to prospect Adael Amador eventually claiming the role. Amador was rushed to the majors as a 21-year-old and showed he wasn't ready, but if he were to make big strides this year, Estrada doesn't represent much of a roadblock. The 28-year-old was a useful Fantasy option in 2022 and 2023, contributing a little bit of pop with some speed -- a poor man's Tommy Edman, you might say -- but he fell off hard last season while contending with a bum wrist. Coors Field makes for a cushy environment to rebuild his value, and fittingly, he's hit .348 (32 for 92) with four home runs in 24 career games there. He'll still likely be drafted outside the top 20 second baseman but has sleeper appeal in Rotisserie league especially. --Scott White Jordan Romano signs with Phillies The battle for the ninth inning in Philadelphia feels a bit less wide open after this signing , but Romano is obviously no sure bet coming off a season ruined by elbow injuries. There's a reason the Blue Jays , who intend to compete in 2025, non-tendered him with club control left. When Romano is right, he's a fringe-elite closer, with a three-year stretch from 2021 through 2023 where he posted a 2.37 ERA and 30.3% strikeout rate – a stretch that included consecutive 36-save seasons. The big question here is whether Romano can truly be "right" coming off a season where he dealt with elbow pain from Spring Training right up until he had surgery on the elbow in August. He should open spring as the favorite for saves in Philadelphia, and that can be a very good spot to be in if you are looking to rack up saves. But if Romano isn't himself, Orion Kerkering , Jose Alvarado , and possibly Matt Strahm are there to step up as possible alternatives. I think the likeliest outcomes are, either Romano is healthy and is the closer for as long as he is right, or he struggles pretty early and this whole bullpen is the same kind of muddled mess it was for much of last season. That makes Romano a viable option for saves in the middle rounds of drafts, but I'd be wary of investing much more than that into him given how poorly 2024 went for the soon-to-be 32-year-old. --Chris Towers Alex Cobb signs with Tigers The comp doesn't work perfectly. Cobb was never as good as Jack Flaherty at their respective peaks, and he is nearly a decade older than Flaherty was when he signed with the Tigers last offseason. But you can see the appeal for a veteran like Cobb, who is trying to rebuild his value after a mostly lost 2024 season that saw him deal with hip, shoulder, and finger injuries. Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter has received a lot of praise in recent seasons for the work he has done with the likes of Flaherty and, obviously, Tarik Skubal , and they'll hope to help Cobb find success on a one-year deal. Now, the thing here is, Cobb has actually been quite good when he's been able to stay on the mound in recent years, posting a 3.75 ERA over his past four seasons. The Tigers have been very good at coaxing more velocity out of their arms in recent years, and that wouldn't be a bad thing for Cobb, whose velocity was down a tick when he was able to get on the mound in 2024. It's also a great ballpark for any pitcher to call home, which should help Cobb continue to limit damage on balls in play. He isn't a star, or anything, but if the early-season schedule looks favorable, Cobb could be an interesting late-round flier for 2025. --Chris Towers Blake Treinen signs with Dodgers Treinen had just one save for the Dodgers during the regular season, but he was their most trusted reliever during the postseason, taking on a high-leverage role that netted him three saves. Presumably, they're bringing him back to fill that role, which would make him the early favorite for saves in Los Angeles. We should know by now, though, that manager Dave Roberts doesn't adhere to bullpen conventions and will mix in a fair amount of Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips as well, but notably, Treinen has the most closing experience of the three. He had 38 saves to go along with a 0.78 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 11.2 K/9 for the Athletics in 2018, and over his final 30 appearances this past season, he had 1.24 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 9.9 K/9. I'll be ranking him just outside of my top 15 relievers for 2025 since there's some uncertainty surrounding his role, but clearly, he has the upside for more. --Scott White Juan Soto signs with Mets The Mets finally landed the big fish they've been angling for in free agency, as Juan Soto has agreed to sign a record-breaking contract that will keep him in Queens until 2039. Soto's deal will pay him $765 million over the next 15 seasons, besting the total value of Shohei Ohtani's contract from a year ago by $65 million. But does it really matter where Soto is playing when considering his Fantasy value? To find out, check out my full-length article on the signing , which also addresses the impact on the rest of the Mets lineup and the free agent market as a whole. --Chris Towers Michael Conforto signs with Dodgers Conforto's 2024 stat line may not look particularly impressive, but it was his best since the 2019-20 stretch that made him one of the most highly regarded outfielders in Fantasy. Even more notable is what happened under the hood. His .479 xSLG was just as good as those peak seasons as his average (90.2 mph) and max (113.6 mph) exit velocities jumped to 68th and 90th percentile, respectively. A quick look at the splits will tell you Oracle Park wasn't doing him any favors. Away from there, he hit .253 with and .852 OPS and 17 of his 20 home runs overall. The Dodgers certainly took notice, and judging by the data, there's a chance he goes the Teoscar Hernandez and J.D. Martinez route of blowing away expectations on a one-year deal. The Dodgers' recent with such signings is all the more incentive for me to mark Conforto as a sleeper, ranking him just outside of my top 50 outfielders. --Scott White Willy Adames signs with Giants I had already positioned myself as an Adames skeptic for next year, ranking him 10th at shortstop after he just placed fifth there, and this signing only fortifies my position. Oracle Park isn't quite the neutralizer it once was, but it still rates as the third-worst home run venue for right-handed hitters over the past three years while American Family Field rates as the sixth-best. On the other hand, Adames has batted .321 (18 for 56) with an .827 OPS in 16 career games in San Francisco, and Statcast estimates that he would have hit 31 home runs playing every game there last year vs. the 32 he actually hit. So maybe it won't be so bad? The issue is in using Adames' 2024 as a basis for comparison when it was almost certainly his best-case outcome. His exit velocities, strikeout rate and batted-ball angles were all in line with career norms, and yet his batting average (.251) was his highest in three years, his home runs (32) were his most ever, and he also stole 21 bases when he had never reached even double digits before. It also probably goes without saying that he won't have a combined 205 runs and RBI as the most feared hitter in a mediocre Giants lineup. So if this signing makes you skeptical of a repeat performance, that's probably for the best. You already should have been. --Scott White Tyler O'Neill signs with Orioles Seems like the Orioles are moving in their left field fence just in time. O'Neill just had a resurgent season with the Red Sox in part because he made a concerted effort to pull the ball in the air more -- a fine strategy for a right-handed hitter at Fenway Park but one that would have brought such a player to ruin at Camden Yards the past couple years. Fortunately, the reported changes to the left field fence there should make it a more neutral environment for right-handed hitters, and notably, O'Neill's career season (2021) came in St. Louis, which is also a challenging place for right-handers to hit it out. Perhaps, then, the more significant variable for O'Neill than venue is his own health. Cutting a muscular figure, the 29-year-old has been particularly susceptible to strains, playing just 65 percent of his team's games the past four years, and even when healthy, his limited bat control (he struck out a career worst 33.6 percent last year) has made for unpredictable outcomes. He has the upside of top-20 outfielder, but the concerns piled on top of concerns drop him to 36th in my outfield rankings. --Scott White Clay Holmes signs with Mets After three years as the Yankees on-again, off-again closer, Holmes is switching not just leagues but also roles, getting a shot as a starter on a three-year, $38 million deal. The role isn't totally foreign to him, seeing as he spent much of his minor-league career as a starter, and in the years since, he's developed a more trustworthy arsenal and stable enough command to attempt this move back. While his sinkerball approach may have been ill-suited for closing, leaving him too vulnerable to hits in high-leverage moments, it's likely to minimize damage over extended stretches. For all the tense moments as a closer, the ERA was always good, after all. This signing raises Holmes' Fantasy appeal in the hopes he can follow in the footsteps of successful relievers-turned-starters like Michael King , Reynaldo Lopez and Bowden Francis , and interest should be especially high in Head-to-Head points leagues, where he figures to be one of the top 15 relievers drafted. --Scott White Shane Bieber signs with Guardians It's a one-year pact with a player option for a second just in base Bieber's recovery from Tommy John surgery goes poorly. His entire future in Fantasy of course hinges on that recovery. You'll remember the former Cy Young winner seemed to be on the verge of regaining ace standing after an offseason spent working with Driveline Baseball, regaining the bite on his slider and dominating through two starts. But then his elbow began barking, and well, you know the rest. The earliest we can hope to see Bieber is June 2025, which means he'll only be worth stashing in leagues with ample IL stash. Which version of Bieber shows up then is anybody's guess, but it's encouraging that the organization that knows him best opted to re-up with him. --Scott White Danny Jansen signs with the Rays After playing with two AL East teams in the same game last season, Jansen continues his tour around the division by joining the Rays, where he will likely be the starting catcher. That didn't go quite so well for either Toronto or Boston in 2024, as Jansen struggled through one of his worst seasons ever, hitting just .205/.309/.349, so the Rays are surely hoping for a bounce-back on this one-year deal. Jansen makes a lot of contact and has a decent eye at the plate, but his quality of contact has been in a freefall in his late 20s, with his expected wOBA on contact dropping from .408 in 2022 to .291 last season. If he can rediscover some of the pop he has last in recent years, he could be a decent No. 2 catcher, especially with the Rays making a move to what we think will be a hitter-friendly home at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa this season. Jansen is a viable, low-end No. 2 catcher for deeper formats, but shouldn't be viewed as a priority, even in 15-team leagues. --Chris Towers Luis Severino signs with the Athletics The A's made a surprising splash in free agency with their three-year contract with Severino for $67 million , the largest guaranteed contract in franchise history. It's a less-than-ideal landing spot for Severino's Fantasy value in 2025, unfortunately, as the A's still figure to be a pretty middling team (at best) in 2025 and are moving from a pitcher friendly park to one that may play at least a bit closer to average. That would be a downgrade for Severino, after he spent a year rebuilding his value in a very pitcher-friendly park with the Mets. To his credit, Severino did a great job rebuilding that value with the Mets, and he did so by showing a lot more flexibility as a pitcher than ever before. At his best, Severino didn't really need much of a gameplan, as he just pumped four-seamers and sliders past hitters, throwing those two pitches 85-90% of the time. In 2024, he introduced a sweeper and greatly increased his sinker usage, giving him six pitches he threw at least 7% of the time. The Mets have become a very good pitching development organization, and Severino benefited from his time with them. The likeliest outcome here is that Severino isn't much more than a rotation filler for Fantasy, but if he can stay healthy, he'll have moments of usefulness. And, if the strikeout rate jump he tapped into in the second half of the season (26.2%) sticks, maybe he can even be a bit more than that. But he probably doesn't need to be much more than a late-rounder in drafts, and even that might be overstating it if he has a poor early schedule. --Chris Towers Aroldis Chapman signs with Red Sox About four months away from the start of the season, it's nearly impossible to say what the Red Sox plans for the back end of the bullpen are, but Chapman surely figures to be part of them now. Their returning saves leader is a tie between Justin Slaten and Josh Winckowski , who all had two each last season, while their most experienced in-house closer option is Liam Hendriks , who has pitched just five innings since 2022 after recovering from leukemia and then Tommy John surgery. Chapman is no longer the lights-out closer he was at his best, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old still strikes out nearly 40% of opposing batters (despite losing a tick or two off fastball last season) and can get the job done on a one-year deal. At this point, it makes sense to treat him like the favorite for the ninth inning in Boston in 2025, at least until we see what Hendriks looks like in the spring – for what it's worth, Hendricks' fastball velocity was down 2-3 mph in his brief minor-league rehab assignment toward the end of last season, which doesn't bode well. --Chris Towers Matthew Boyd signs with Cubs Another retread-gone-right, Boyd is earned a two-year deal with the Cubs after a successful eight-start run with the Guardians in 2024. Boyd posted a 2.72 ERA in his return from Tommy John surgery last season, with underlying peripherals that mostly backed it up – thanks, in large part, to a strong 27.7% strikeout rate. Boyd's velocity was mostly back up to pre-injury levels, though that still makes him a soft-tosser at this point, so his success will be based on his effective his slider/changeup combo can be. Both pitches were excellent in 2024, but the underlying pitch characteristics don't necessarily back up what he accomplished, with most pitch modeling metrics suggesting Boyd was a below-average pitcher in 2024. A year further removed from surgery, maybe Boyd can take another step forward and find success with a pretty clear path to a rotation spot for the Cubs, but he doesn't have to be much more than a late-round, bench-spot flier even in deeper leagues. --Chris Towers Frankie Montas signs with Mets The Mets have a rotation to rebuild, and the first step was adding a pitcher coming off a down year split between the Reds and Brewers . Or maybe calling it a "down year" is soft-pedaling given that it was Montas' first back from surgery to the labrum in his right shoulder. His velocity was basically up to snuff, though, and he did see his K/9 rate jump from 7.5 in his 19 starts with the Reds to 11.0 in his 11 starts with the Brewers. Even prior to the 2023 shoulder surgery, his career was defined by inconsistency due to the on-again, off-again nature of his splitter. The Mets fared well with reclamation projects like Sean Manaea and Luis Severino last season and have agreed to pay Montas $34 million over the next two, so they clearly see something they like. We shouldn't rule out a bounce-back season, particularly since the cost in Fantasy will be so low. --Scott White Blake Snell signs with Dodgers To the surprise of no one, the Dodgers have landed the first marquee free agent of the offseason, agreeing to a five-year $182 million deal with Blake Snell Tuesday. It's a big commitment for what's been the model organization the past few years and may go a long way toward allaying fears about Snell's irregularities. While he's put together a 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 12.0 K/9 over the past three seasons, much has been made about the way he came about those numbers. For more, check out my full-length article breaking down the signing. --Scott White Yusei Kikuchi signs with Angels The three-year, $63 million deal is a modest one for a pitcher who seemed to have real momentum heading into the offseason, having just put together a 2.70 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 in his 10 starts for the Astros . The improved performance coincided with Kikuchi roughly doubling his slider usage, and his 2025 destination matters less for his Fantasy value than whether or not he sticks to that approach. He has always missed bats at a good rate but has gotten inconsistent results due to questionable pitch selection and a penchant for hard contact. Going to the Angels gives him a lower margin for error than if he had gone to a true contender and also does nothing to soften his vulnerability to the long ball, but again, his success is tied more to continuing his slider-heavy approach. And for that, we'll just have to wait and see. I cautiously rank him just inside my top 50 starting pitchers for 2025, but he has the upside for more. --Scott White Jonathan India traded for Brady Singer Unfortunately, this trade is close to a worse-case scenario for the two major players involved. India goes from the most favorable park for home runs -- i.e., one of the few where his fringy power plays -- to one of the least favorable. According to Statcast, his 63 career home runs would be 42 if he played every game at Kauffman Stadium. Obviously, the reverse move is bad for Singer, a pitcher who's on the more pitch-to-contact side of the ledger, but since he generally puts the ball on the ground, maybe it's not as bad . Then again, he has a career 3.92 ERA at home in Kauffman Stadium compared to a 4.74 ERA everywhere else. Neither India nor Singer figured to be a hot commodity prior to this trade, and both might go undrafted now in shallower leagues. India is a little more useful in points leagues because of his on-base skills, and both he and Singer at least stand to be high-volume plays. India's removal does free up some of the Reds' infield logjam with Matt McLain expected back, penciling in Noelvi Marte at third base again. --Scott White Nick Martinez signs with Reds Rather than test the free agent market, Martinez accepted the Reds' qualifying offer of $21.05 million, which isn't altogether surprising given that it now represents roughly 40 percent of his career MLB earnings. That the Reds extended the offer is telling. They had a front-row seat to the 34-year-old's career season and bought in hard at an amount that virtually guarantees he'll be a full-time starter rather than reverting to a swingman role. Perhaps, then, we should take Martinez just as seriously. He's always had a killer changeup, and he became a strike-thrower of the highest order in 2024, boasting the third-best walk rate among pitchers with at least 100 innings. His home run prevention was probably too good to be true, particularly for pitching half his games in Cincinnati, but he won't be priced for another 3.10 ERA. More likely, he'll be sort of a poor man's Jose Berrios or Zach Eflin , good for piling up innings with a low WHIP, and he takes on added value in Head-to-Head points leagues due to his relief pitcher eligibility. --Scott White Travis d'Arnaud signs with Angels Finally freed of his catching tandem with Sean Murphy , d'Arnaud was quick to put himself in another one, this time with up-and-comer Logan O'Hoppe . It's frustrating for a couple reasons, one being that O'Hoppe loses some of the volume that made him so attractive for Fantasy, likely going from a 75 percent workload share to 60 percent or less, and the other being that d'Arnaud himself could have pursued a full-time role. Instead, d'Arnaud figures to remain a fringe second catcher for two-catcher leagues, and while O'Hoppe doesn't necessarily slide down the rankings -- he was already regarded as a low-end No. 1 -- his upside takes a hit. Maybe his .196 batting average in the second half is evidence he was overworked, but even if it improves, his counting stats will be capped. Meanwhile, Murphy has a golden opportunity to reestablish himself in Atlanta after bombing for the past season-and-a-half there. Injuries have likely contributed to his struggles, as has irregular playing time due to the presence of d'Arnaud, but he'll need to prove himself quickly to hold off prospect Drake Baldwin . --Scott White Jorge Soler traded to Angels Only three months after acquiring him from the Giants , the Braves flipped Soler to the Angels in what was essentially a salary dump. They ended up non-tendering the player they got back in the deal, Griffin Canning . You might think Soler's departure reflects well on Ronald Acuna's recovery from a torn ACL, but GM Alex Anthopoulos later confessed that the star outfielder likely won't be ready for the start of 2025. As for Soler, he has an easy claim to the Angels' DH spot and will play in a pretty nice venue, particularly for home runs, but his success has never depended on such factors. He's a mercurial performer coming off a down season but still has the 35-homer upside to pay off handsomely as a fourth or fifth outfielder. --Scott WhiteSoftwareONE Holding AG (OTCMKTS:SWONF) Sees Large Growth in Short InterestNEW YORK, Nov. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm by ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating: Markforged Holding Corporation (NYSE: MKFG ), relating to its proposed merger with Nano Dimension Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, Markforged stockholders will be entitled to receive $5.00 in cash per share of Markforged they own. ACT NOW . The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for December 5, 2024 . Click here for more information: https://monteverdelaw.com/case/markforged-holding-corporation/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. Cyclo Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYTH ), relating to its proposed merger with Rafael Holdings, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Cyclo common stock will automatically be converted into the right to receive shares of Rafael common stock. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/cyclo-therapeutics-inc/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. BurTech Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BRKH ) , relating to the proposed merger with Blaize, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, shares of BurTech Acquisition will be exchanged for shares of Blaize. ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for December 10, 2024. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/burtech-acquisition-corp-brkh/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. Crossfirst Bankshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: CFB ), relating to its proposed merger with First Busey Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, Crossfirst common stock will automatically be converted into the right to receive 0.6675 shares of Busey common stock. ACT NOW . The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for December 20, 2024 . Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/crossfirst-bankshares-inc/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask: Do you file class actions and go to Court? When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders? What cases did you recover money in and how much? About Monteverde & Associates PC Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders...and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
In need of a cosy place to take a break from the bustle of Colchester? This independent and family run bakery and café is a wonderful spot for a coffee and a snack. Just a short walk from the high street in Red Lion Yard, this is certainly an easy to access choice for a visitor to the city centre. A huge variety of cakes and other baked goods that can be bought in the café or online and collected; the temptations of the bakery will likely be a threat to your bank account. On my visit I ordered a delicious cranberry flapjack: the flavour was well balanced between rich and light, and a good price. However, I would say that it was slightly too large for one person and it was very filling, so maybe bring a friend. The atmosphere was very peaceful, warm and welcoming – contrasting the busy high street in a way that immediately relaxes you. The décor was intriguing: a detail which gives it an edge over more sparsely decorated locations, in addition to a unique charm that I have not seen anywhere else in the city. In addition to the fantastic bakery the other reason for your visit should of course be the drinks – of which there are many to choose from. I first ordered a latte which was reasonably priced and well made, although I did find the mug slightly uncomfortable to hold. The second drink I ordered a cortado – a coffee I had never ordered before but I think this was definitely a good example and would been keen to have one again – and it was delicious and similarly well priced. I would note that if you are looking for somewhere to work or study, I would not recommend Victoria Yum as the tables are small and it functions more as a social space. However, overall, I would recommend that everyone makes a visit to Victoria Yum, it is a fabulous bakery and café and blows the competition around it out of the water.December in the Garden for Central Florida
Knicks vs. Pelicans Injury Report Today – December 1Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: Dec. 23 The Washington Post on President Biden's commutation of death sentences President Joe Biden’s Monday announcement that he would commute the death sentences of 37 federal inmates should not be seen as an act of mercy for people convicted of awful crimes. It was a substantial move to align the United States with the rest of the democratic world, which has largely abandoned the practice of killing people as an instrument of justice. In other words, Mr. Biden’s use of his commutation power was extraordinary — and insufficient. Three men will remain on federal death row, and more people could be put there in future years. Meanwhile, many states continue to execute people. We say this while acknowledging the horrors these people committed; the three men Mr. Biden left on death row were convicted of mass shootings or terrorist attacks. We also acknowledge that a majority of Americans still favors the death penalty, despite a downward trend in recent years. Mr. Biden’s attempt to split the difference, leaving what he considered the worst of the worst on death row, is therefore understandable. Yet the death penalty is expensive, impractical and too often unjustly applied. And, even if the death penalty posed none of these problems, the government should not purposely take lives outside of war or similar conflict. The state should be better — far better — than those who unnecessarily and premeditatedly extinguish human life. Our view has seen substantial wins in recent years. Executions have plummeted as public support for the practice has moderated. But 2024 offered multiple signs that the momentum may be ebbing. President-elect Donald Trump promised during his campaign to expand the death penalty . And the Death Penalty Information Center, in its annual end-of-year report, shows that the number of executions nationwide, though still far below their heights at the turn of the century, have been ticking upward in recent years. Twenty-five people were executed in the United States in 2024, slightly up from the previous year and more than twice the three-decade low reached in 2021. That’s largely the result of efforts by officials in Republican-run states to reactivate the death penalty. Three states this year — Utah, South Carolina and Indiana — carried out their first executions in more than a decade. Alabama also experimented with a new way to kill its inmates : asphyxiating them with nitrogen gas. The first person subjected to this method, Kenneth Smith, convulsed and gasped for air for four minutes. Following the execution, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall encouraged other states to adopt the method. “Alabama has done it, and now so can you,” he said. Increasingly, states are carrying out these executions behind a veil of secrecy. Just last week, Indiana, citing state law, executed Joseph Corcoran with no media witnesses . This year also saw an increase in the number of people sentenced to death, from 21 in 2023 to 26. About a third of those sentences were imposed by nonunanimous juries, thanks to laws in Florida and Alabama that allow jurors to recommend the death sentence even if they don’t reach consensus. In fact, Florida in 2023 enacted legislation allowing death sentences to be imposed if just 8 out of 12 jurors vote in favor. Of course, as Mr. Biden acknowledged in his Monday announcement, most people with death sentences in the United States committed heinous crimes and deserve little sympathy. But one can condemn such acts while also maintaining that executing criminals cannot bring back victims of those crimes or make whole those who lost loved ones. Also, mistakes happen, even in an advanced criminal justice system such as that of the United States. In July, Larry Roberts became the 200th person sentenced to death to be exonerated of his alleged crime since the DPIC starting tracking wrongful convictions in 1973. No one should be comfortable with that number. Since 1976, when the Supreme Court ended its four-year moratorium on the death penalty, more than 1,600 people have been executed in the United States. How many of them were likewise innocent? ONLINE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/12/23/death-penalty-trump-criminal-justice/ Dec. 24 The New York Times on the teen mental health crisis Rates of anxiety and depression in adolescents have been rising for years . Millions of Americans with mental health problems are not getting the treatment they need for myriad reasons. Many families can’t afford it. And many young people also don’t know where to turn for help. The UJA-Federation of New York, an organization created in 1917 to provide Jewish New Yorkers with economic and social support, is trying to fill the coverage gap for young adults of all backgrounds. The organization helps them get care from its network of mental health professionals through educational outreach at schools, community centers and even coffee shops. This kind of localized approach has long been recommended by experts because it has been shown to reach people who might not otherwise seek treatment or support. “Since UJA was founded — and that’s now well over 100 years ago — we have focused on critical issues facing New Yorkers in need,” said Alex Roth-Kahn, a managing director at the organization. That mission has led to decades of supporting people with mental health challenges. Just this year, Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri for a 1998 murder, even though the prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County filed a motion to vacate his death sentence because DNA testing of the murder weapon ruled him out. And in Texas, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is fighting the death sentence of Robert Robertson, convicted in the death of his 2-year-old, who prosecutors said died of shaken baby syndrome — though Robertson’s lawyers have cited medical and forensic experts who concluded she likely died from undiagnosed pneumonia. Mr. Biden’s intervention this week is a nod to the flaws of the death penalty, but also a need for a system that claims human dignity and equal application of the law as its driving values. State and federal lawmakers should finish the job by abolishing the practice. ONLINE: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/opinion/communities-fund-uja-federation.html Dec. 23 The Wall Street Journal on rising life expectancy in the United States Some good news as 2024 nears the end: Life expectancy in the U.S. last year made an unusually sharp increase as deaths from most major causes declined, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Americans can expect more longevity gains in the future—as long as Washington doesn’t introduce harmful policies. Life expectancy in 2023 rose 0.9 years to 78.4 while the overall mortality rate adjusted for age declined 6%. Death rates among all age groups fell, and more sharply for middle-aged Americans and seniors. A typical 65-year-old can expect to live another 19.5 years, up from 18.9 years in 2022. The large rebound in a single year owes largely to a decline in Covid deaths as the pandemic receded into the past. Covid deaths last year were roughly the same as those from the flu during a bad flu season. Death rates from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and unintentional injuries (e.g., drug overdoses) also declined. It’s true that U.S. life expectancy is still lower, and deaths from most causes somewhat higher, than before the pandemic when it reached an overall average of 78.8 years. But that’s because of an increase in chronic illnesses, which may have been exacerbated by the pandemic lockdowns. Forced to stay home, many Americans ate and drank more and used more drugs. The Biden Administration claimed credit for the lifespan increase because drug overdoses declined slightly in 2023. Perhaps political attention to the fentanyl scourge is making a difference. But overdoses were still 50% higher last year than in 2019. The truth is that the Administration’s “harm reduction” policies—e.g., distributing sterile needles and opioid-overdose medicine naloxone to addicts—have failed to reduce addiction. A common lament on the political left and right is that the U.S. has a lower life expectancy despite spending more on healthcare than most developed countries. But America also has more chronic disease and drug addiction, which aren’t from failings in private healthcare. Americans have access to more treatments than any country in the world. This is why U.S. cancer survival rates are higher than in most developed countries and continue to improve. Personalized cancer vaccines and CAR T-cell therapies have shown potential to treat deadly cancers like pancreatic and glioblastoma. GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic could help extend lifespans by reducing obesity, diabetes and even drug addictions. The policy risk is that government drug price controls will discourage innovation. Expanding government control over healthcare isn’t the way to make Americans healthier. ONLINE: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/cdc-u-s-life-expectancy-rises-covid-mortality-chronic-illness-drugs-pharma-e2f03030?mod=editorials_article_pos3 Dec. 24 The Boston Globe says Republicans taking directions from Elon Musk might want to reconsider Until last week’s budget debacle, Elon Musk was a warm-up act for President-elect Donald Trump. Like the many adulatory openers at Trump rallies and Republican gatherings, he amped up the crowd — but strictly in preparation for the main act. While Democrats like to flash star power at events — A-listers, movie stars, and pop icons — in today’s Republican Party, Trump is the star power. But the rise of Musk as a political figure means that another successful, powerful businessman is potentially poised to eclipse Trump’s voice in the Republican Party, whether he intends to or not. That’s a problem for Trump, who isn’t exactly used to sharing the limelight. The MAGA movement, as Trump allies describe it, is built around the idea that politicians of all stripes are too blinded by corruption, political complications, and self-interest to serve the needs of the American people. Such a movement necessitates an audacious leader who isn’t afraid to break with the pack and stand out — someone exactly like Trump. His no-holds-barred style of leadership has allowed him to quickly overhaul the Republican Party, elevating loyalists and his favored policies with little regard for pushback from liberals or traditional Republicans. Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, owner of X (formerly Twitter), and the world’s richest man, has been one of Trump’s most important allies in spreading that message. His endorsement, his campaigning efforts, his nearly quarter of a billion dollar America PAC, his energizing rally appearances, and even his transformation of X into a “town square” have been vital to spreading Republican messaging. Musk has been a dutiful “First Buddy.” But he could become more than that, as he revealed last week. Starting early Wednesday morning, a mere series of X posts from Musk helped to derail a bipartisan congressional deal to fund the government and avert a shutdown. That Musk had concerns about a 1,500-page budget bill isn’t the issue here; it’s safe to assume that any impenetrable packet of government spending contains eyebrow-raising allocations. What is of concern is how Musk seemingly single-handedly hijacked the process — and how Republicans let him. On X, Musk and his sidekick Vivek Ramaswamy praised Republicans who bowed to his opposition of the bill and put on notice those who didn’t. “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk posted early Wednesday afternoon, generating more than 47 million views. He beat Trump to the punch — or, maybe, pushed the president-elect into action. Twelve hours after Musk’s first post opposing the bill, JD Vance and Trump released a statement condemning the bill. And that evening, Trump posted on Truth Social that “Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be primaried.” So Republican leaders dutifully withdrew the bill and replaced it with a slimmed-down alternative that met Musk and Trump’s demands. That bill failed on Thursday. So on Friday, rather than allow the government to shut down, the House voted on and passed a third bill — which looked suspiciously like the initial version with some face-saving changes to placate Musk and Trump — with Democratic votes. That Musk is using his platform to share his views isn’t an issue. As he often points out, he has made X a public square for many different viewpoints — including many of his own detractors. The problem is that Republicans have allowed Musk to disproportionately sway their leadership. That’s not necessarily a problem when Musk is advocating for budget cuts and bureaucratic overhaul in his self-conceived Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE will be an extragovernmental advisory board that might have the potential to help trim some federal fat. In this advisory role, an innovator like Musk, along with his cochair Ramaswamy, have the potential to make helpful recommendations unburdened by the political pressures of being in the federal government. But advisers advise, they don’t direct. Will it be a problem when the new ascendant voice on the right wants to, say, protect his business interests with American adversaries like China ? He has many potential conflicts of interest in dictating how the American government should spend and not spend its money. His companies Tesla and SpaceX, for example, have had over $15 billion in government contracts over the past decade. Musk is doing more than swaying policy. He’s also creating a new line of attack for Democrats who are more than pleased to point out that Republicans’ reimagined “working people’s party” is being led by a billionaire puppeteered by a far richer billionaire. On X, Democrats lined up to highlight “President Musk’s” pull, with Senator Chris Murphy posting about the Trump administration’s “Billionaire First” agenda. Trump is no stranger to criticisms from the left, nor is he particularly stringent about consistency in his policy positions. Like any good populist, Trump has shown himself willing to adapt to his supporters’ whims. He might bristle, however, at the prospect of being relegated to an opening act, a mere figurehead for a party driven by someone younger, richer, and more influential. The bristling may have already started. Trump’s transition spokesperson immediately went on the defense: “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Full stop,” Karoline Leavitt said . And maybe some resistance from Team Trump is for the best. Even if Trump agrees with Musk, an unelected billionaire with a long list of conflicts of interest should not have such a direct line of influence over our government. Trump was elected, he should be making the decisions — not waiting for his rich friend to endorse them before Trump himself has even weighed in. Republicans are going to have to answer plenty of tough questions about Musk’s influence on their party over the next four years. None might be as difficult as this: Is Trump willing to let Musk steal his show? ONLINE: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/24/opinion/elon-musk-trump-congress/?event=event12 Dec. 24 The Philadelphia Inquirer says RFK Jr. cannot be taken seriously as HHS Secretary America’s public health could be at risk if the incoming administration doesn’t correct some of the campaign rhetoric that may have helped Donald Trump win an election but has no merit now that voting is over. For example, inaccurate comments about water fluoridation that prospective U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not taken back. “ Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis , bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease,” Kennedy said in a November social media post in which he also claimed the president-elect would advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. As is typical with Trump, he has neither embraced nor denied Kennedy’s assertions, preferring to instead suggest support of ideas that he may later reject by nebulously saying of Kennedy: “I’m going to let him go wild on health. I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let him go wild on medicines.” Please, don’t. America doesn’t need anyone “wild” in charge of public health. Kennedy can’t be taken seriously when he makes misleading comments about water fluoridation that may have a veneer of truth but don’t hold up when someone takes the time to review the facts. Fluoride is not an industrial waste product. It is a mineral found in rocks and soil that leaches naturally into streams and other water supplies. Its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay was discovered in the 1920s when it was observed that Colorado Springs, Colo., residents whose teeth were stained by excessive fluoride in their water sources had fewer than normal cavities. Kennedy is wrong to suggest the subsequent fluoridation of community water supplies across America occurred hastily and without due investigation of potential dangers. The National Institutes of Health began investigating how fluoride affects the human body in the 1930s, but the first major trial of fluoridation of a community’s water supply didn’t occur until 1945 in Grand Rapids, Mich. President Harry S. Truman signed an act creating the National Institute of Dental Research in 1948 in large part because 20% of young men being drafted for military service were rejected because their teeth were so bad. Meanwhile, 10 years after the Michigan study began, the cavity rate among Grand Rapids children was reduced by more than 60%. Subsequent research shows drinking fluoridated water not only reduces cavities and associated dental pain but correspondingly cuts missed school and work days. Such results prompted cities and towns across America — including Philadelphia — to begin fluoridating their water, so much so that by 2010 the tap water of more than 200 million Americans was flowing from fluoridated systems. There have been virtually zero instances in which putting fluoride in a water system has been blamed for a public health issue since the fluoridation of most of America’s water supplies began. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ranked water fluoridation as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. Kennedy is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t seem to exist. The National Institutes of Health did complete a study that concluded there might be a connection between the lower IQs of children after long-term exposure to more than twice the federal government’s recommended level of fluoride in drinking water. But why would any town knowingly exceed the government’s fluoridation guidelines by such a large margin? There’s no incentive for local officials to risk their children’s or adults’ health. Kennedy also says fluoridating water systems is no longer necessary. “ Fluoride made sense in the 1940s when they put it in, but now we have fluoride in toothpaste,” he said. That’s true, fluoride today is in toothpaste, mouthwashes, and other oral hygiene products, but that’s why the recommended level of fluoride in water supplies was reduced from 1.0 parts per million to 0.7 parts per million in 2011. Future research may lead to more reductions in recommended fluoride levels, but there’s no basis for Kennedy’s call for a ban now. Trump’s choice to plot the course of public health agencies that make life-and-death decisions based on scientific evidence is a bad one. Kennedy comes across as someone who loves basking in the limelight too often afforded contrarians who pay little attention to facts. In that same vein, Kennedy has criticized vaccines that have long protected millions of Americans from crippling and deadly diseases. Surely the president-elect can do better with his nominations. ONLINE: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/health-water-fluoride-robert-kennedy-20241224.html
Christopher Nolan’s next film is based on ‘The Odyssey’
Elon Musk Accuses Jeff Bezos Of Manipulating Stocks: Here’s How The Amazon Founder RespondedActing COAS Pledges Lasting Peace for Nigeria, Seeks Tactical Aircraft SupportGuest column: Donald Trump hands Trudeau a crisis he could use to win another electionBrendan Rodgers praises Celtic and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ mentality
Elon Musk changes his tune on H1-B visas as he tries to cool raging MAGA civil war over skilled immigrationCVS Pharmacy has just introduced digital payment modes at its store locations, and as an Apple user, that would make you happy. So, if you are wondering, does CVS take Apple Pay ? The short answer is “ Yes ”. How Can I Use Apple Pay at CVS Pharmacy? Step 1: Activate your Apple wallet by adding your credit or debit card. Step 2: Tap your Apple device at the contactless payment machine displayed at the checkout. Step 3: Use your passcode, face ID, or touch ID to facilitate the payment. Three Apple Pay Benefits Security: Since Apple Pay uses a device ID instead of a Card identification number your card number remains safe and away from threats Convenience: Say no wallet and use your cash during an emergency. Speed: The transaction time is 0.01 seconds so image the speed of the transaction using Apple Pay Interesting Blog:- Usanetwork.com/activatenbcu : Activate USA Network on NBCU, Xbox, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Firestick Final Thoughts Does CVS take Apple pay is the most asked question on the internet and we have successfully answered it. Using Apple Pay at CVS pharmacy would eliminate the need for cash. Just use Apple Pay while purchasing medications or other essentials and make the experience memorable. Enjoy the breeze of Apple Pay. You May Like:- How to Host Someone On Twitch – Some Easy Steps Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can I use Apple Pay at CVS online or in the app? As of now, CVS accepts Apple Pay for in-store purchases only. For online or app transactions, you may need to use other payment methods. 2. Are there additional fees for using Apple Pay at CVS? No, CVS does not charge additional fees for using Apple Pay. It works just like a credit or debit card transaction. 3. Are there benefits to using Apple Pay at CVS? Yes! Apple Pay offers enhanced security, faster checkouts, and the convenience of not needing a physical wallet.
- Previous: 4 kings online casino
- Next:
