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A former Florida Republican said he's breathing a "sigh of relief" that Pam Bondi is now Donald Trump's new attorney general choice, noting that she's not only qualified, she hasn't been embroiled in any sex scandals. Legal analysts debated ethics and experiences during Friday's MSNBC discussion about Bondi. Former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) confessed that he's a friend of Bondi's and he sees her as completely qualified for the job. She also has the added benefit of not having had any sex scandal, he said. The previous appointee was former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who resigned from Congress ahead of an Ethics Committee vote on whether to release a report on an investigation into allegations against him. Some details of the report have dripped out, including testimony from two witnesses who spoke to the committee. Also Read: Pro-Trump super PAC fined for election law violation Despite calls from Trump and lobbying efforts with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance , Gaetz withdrew his promised nomination on Thursday. "We should breathe a little sigh of relief," said Jolly about Bondi. "The big difference between Matt Gaetz and Pam Bondi is this. Pam Bondi is qualified to run the department. ... She hasn't been accused of sexual misconduct or sex trafficking." But it was Andrew Weissmann, former top prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller, who said that the standard should be higher than not having been investigated by the Justice Department. "One thing that is important is for our viewers not to recalibrate simply because there is a new normal that she is not Matt Gaetz," said Weissmann. "That's not the standard for whether somebody should be the attorney general of the United States." He pointed out that it is also not a qualification to be a state prosecutor for years. "Absolutely, she has that experience, but the real issue is, I think, sort of the second part of what David was talking about, which is, one: Does she believe that facts and law are what is supposed to govern the Department of Justice and all decision-making?" asked Weissmann. "Two: Do you think it is right for the president to say who you should prosecute and who you should not prosecute?" he continued. "And so, questions like 'Do you believe there is a stolen election in 2020,' are totally appropriate ones. When she talks about going after, you know, political enemies of Donald Trump, is that the appropriate role for the Department of Justice? She shouldn't have to walk them back because that is the critical issue." See the discussion below or at the link here . - YouTube www.youtube.com

NBA News: Mike Brown Reportedly Fired as Kings HC amid 5-Game Losing Streak

BETHLEHEM – William “Bill” Franklin Stinson Sr., 86, of Bethlehem, passed peacefully into the gates of Heaven on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, at Waterbury Hospital. He was the devoted and loving husband of Patricia Ann (Calabrese) Stinson, with whom he shared 63 years of marriage, having married on May 27, 1961. Bill was born on July 17, 1938, in Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, to the late Benjamin Allen Stinson and Helen Louise (Boone) Stinson. Bill was predeceased by his sister Ethel Mae Norfleet. Bill’s life was defined by an unwavering dedication to service – to his country, his family, and to all fortunate enough to know him. In 1958, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, and proudly served his country for more than 25 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. During his distinguished career, Bill worked as an electrical engineer and program manager, playing a key role in the development of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). His military service also included deployment to Korea, and mastery of the Chinese language through the Yale Institute of Asian Studies, demonstrating his commitment to broadening his understanding of the world. After retiring from the Air Force, Bill continued his professional journey at General DataComm, where he served as program manager for more than 15 years. Later, in continued dedication of service to others, he shared his knowledge and expertise with the students at The Gunnery in Washington, Conn., where he worked as a computer teacher and IT technician until his retirement in 2008. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bill had a passion for sports and intellectual pursuits. He enjoyed playing tennis and golf, building computers from scratch, completing crossword puzzles, and keeping up with the latest technological innovations. Bill’s legacy will live on through his beloved wife, Patricia, and their three children: William “Bill” F. Stinson Jr. and his wife Susan, of Frisco, Texas; Rebecca “Becky” Stinson of Middlebury; and Benjamin “Ben” Allen Stinson and his wife, Patricia, of Roxbury. He is also survived by his three grandsons and one great-grandson, Tyler Stinson, Logan Stinson and his wife Sofia, and Hunter Stinson and his wife Samantha, and son Archer; as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family members who will cherish his memory. Bill was a man of integrity, compassion, and wisdom who selflessly put the needs of others before his own. Despite his many accomplishments, Bill was humble and despite any hardship he endured, relentlessly strove to make this world a better place for all in it. Although it was in his nature to avoid superlatives, to all who knew him, he was the best husband, brother, father, and grandfather anyone could ever ask for. The memory of Mr. Fantastic will live on in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to be part of his life. A funeral will be on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, 8:45 a.m. at Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home, 430 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, to St. John the Evangelist Church, Watertown, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Burial with full military honors will follow at Lake Elise Cemetery in Middlebury. Calling hours for Bill will be Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at Chase Parkway Memorial. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Bill’s memory to: Tunnels to Towers Foundation (t2t.org/donate), 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306. For information or to send e-condolences, visit chaseparkwaymemorial.com.

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CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 10, 2024-- Aizip, Inc. in partnership with SoftBank Corp., announced the release of customized Small Language Model (SLM) and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions for enterprise applications. The system operates locally on mobile devices or on-premises servers, addressing the pressing concerns of enterprise data safety. Fine-tuned with domain specific data, these SLMs can address unique enterprise tasks with comparable accuracy to 100x larger cloud LLMs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241210832520/en/ (Graphic: Business Wire) This announcement comes as many companies have implemented bans on cloud-based LLMs for business-related tasks, citing concerns about leaks of private information. A recent survey from Menlo Ventures found that 21% of failed AI pilots were due to data-privacy hurdles. Fine-tuned SLMs are an alternative to general LLMs, offering security and privacy of information along with the benefits of AI-enabled work. Many enterprises have explored using open-source Small Language Models that run locally and efficiently on-premises as replacements for cloud-based LLMs. However, these models have generally turned out to be too unreliable to meet production-level performance requirements. Aizip and SoftBank address this challenge with innovative new solutions. The joint team developed and delivered a customized SLM integrated into a RAG system, running locally as a mobile application. When applied to SoftBank’s internal documents the application offers employees a Q&A platform that generates accurate, up-to-date response, running entirely on an iPhone 14. Testing shows that the system satisfactorily addresses 97% of employee questions, and response quality measured on a dataset of 22,000 questions matched responses generated by a GPT-4o-based RAG system. The key to this unique reliability is Aizip’s SLM-customization pipeline, which includes high-quality data generation, fine-tuning, and multifaceted evaluation. “While there are an increasing number of open-source SLMs available today, off-the-shelf models often fall short of the production accuracy required for enterprise tasks,” noted Aizip SLM-development lead Weier Wan. Aizip’s SLM-customization pipeline is run iteratively until target accuracy is achieved, so enterprises no longer need to choose between privacy and performance. Although the first product was developed for the iPhone, Aizip’s flexible SLM-deployment tools allow SLMs and RAG systems to run on a variety of edge platforms, including on-premises servers, PCs, and even IoT devices like microprocessors (MPUs), as announced in June 2024. Looking ahead, the joint team aims to leverage SoftBank’s rich expertise in enterprise services and Aizip’s cutting-edge AI technology to expand customized SLM solutions to a broader range of applications and customers. “Privacy-critical and offline-required use cases can benefit greatly from Aizip’s on-device AI technology,” described SoftBank vice president Katsuya Kitazawa, head of the Information Technology & Architect Division. “Whether assisting flight attendants on airplanes or supporting field workers in remote locations, we’re excited to collaborate with Aizip to bring this innovation to more users and businesses.” Aizip remains committed to delivering production-grade AI solutions for a variety of on-device applications. With extensive experience in developing robust and efficient AI models across Aizip Intelligent Audio (AIA), Vision (AIV), and Time-Series (AIT) product lines, Aizip continues to pioneer SLM technology, focused on improved accuracy, reliability, speed, and development efficiency. For additional information, please contact info@aizip.ai . About Aizip, Inc. Situated in the heart of Silicon Valley, Aizip, Inc. specializes in developing superior AI models tailored for endpoint and edge-device applications. Aizip stands apart for its exemplary model performance, swift deployment, and remarkable return on investment. These models are versatile, catering to a spectrum of intelligent, automated, and interconnected solutions. Discover more at www.aizip.ai . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241210832520/en/ Nathan Francis, Nathan@aizip.ai KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING TECHNOLOGY IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS) PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SECURITY APPS/APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MOBILE/WIRELESS HARDWARE FINANCE SOURCE: Aizip, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/10/2024 04:30 PM/DISC: 12/10/2024 04:33 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241210832520/enFacebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save JERUSALEM — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. "The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. "We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave," he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay later said the injured person was with the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service. Israel's army later told The Associated Press it wasn't aware that the WHO chief or delegation were at the location in Yemen. Ocean City group has no shortage of ideas for area near Gillian's Wonderland Contractors continue to remove rides at former Gillian's Wonderland site in Ocean City 'Great Day Express' takes its maiden voyage to Big SNOW at American Dream Mall Body found in fridge in Belleplain State Forest 'He was one of a kind': Ex-Beach Haven lifeguard chief recalls officer killed in North Carolina shooting DEEM says financing ready to start Bader Field development in Atlantic City Long Beach Island fire damages multimillion-dollar bayfront home Atlantic City police officer accused of assaulting, pointing gun at wife New Jersey 'homelessness czar' at work in Atlantic City, DCA says Lower Township man charged with possession of child porn The heartbeat of Atlantic City: How Midtown is redefining its future 2 Wildwood men accused of sexually assaulting juveniles Who are The Press' 2024 High School Football All-Stars? Who are The Press' football Player, Team and Coach of the Year? Mays Landing's Level Up comic and video game shop to close after 18 years Smoke rises Thursday from the area around the International Airport after an airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said in a statement it attacked infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, claiming they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military added it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel's territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively." The strikes, carried out more than 1,000 miles from Jerusalem, came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad's regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Houthi-controlled satellite channel al-Masirah reported multiple deaths and showed broken windows, collapsed ceilings and a bloodstained floor and vehicle. Iran's foreign ministry condemned the strikes. The U.S. military also targeted the Houthis in recent days. The U.N. says the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, while other missiles and drones were shot down. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that it condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying them weapons. Relatives and friends mourn over the bodies of five Palestinian journalists Thursday who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in Gaza overnight, the territory's Health Ministry said. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists worked for local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that ignited the war. Israel's military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accuses six of its Gaza reporters of being militants. The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Mourners cry Thursday while they take the last look at the body of a relative, one of eight Palestinians killed, during their funeral in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Separately, Israel's military said a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities are women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. The offensive caused widespread destruction and hunger and drove around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Messi's son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watchAs he prepares to return to a Manhattan courtroom to face the judge overseeing his transfer of property to women he defamed, Rudy Giuliani is urging him not to hold him in contempt. In a series of court filings on Christmas Eve, the former New York City mayor implored District Judge Lewis Liman to reject a demand for sanctions from a pair of election workers who accused Giuliani of repeatedly violating court orders — including blowing past deadlines and throwing up obstacles to hand over his property to satisfy tens of millions of dollars he owes them. He also claims that the mother-daughter pair of election workers he defamed in the volatile aftermath of the 2020 presidential election are not even legally entitled to receive any of his property because they failed to file an oath as required under state law. Giuliani is expected to testify at a court hearing set for January 3, where Donald Trump ’s former attorney will say that he “did not knowingly and/or intentionally and/or willingly violate or disobey” any court orders, according to a letter to the judge from his attorney Joseph Cammarata. In a separate filing to the judge written by Giuliani himself, he swore that he already turned over a long list of property to the women, just as he was ordered to. “I respectfully submit that the items which I was required to turn over, I turned over,” he wrote. “The Court should see that I gave everything that I could give.” Giuliani has given “everything” that the judge “required me to provide that I possessed, and out of an abundance of caution, additional items were provided to the Plaintiffs,” he added. The filings included lists of 42 pieces of property that he says were turned over as ordered by the court, including items removed from a storage facility in Ronkonkoma, New York, to another storage locker in Queens. “I have not intentionally or willfully disobeyed any of this Court’s orders or Plaintiffs’ discovery demands,” Giuliani wrote. “If any documents were not produced by me, it was because I did not possess them or was unable to locate them.” He wrote that he has “fully or substantially” complied with the court orders, and that he “should not be held in contempt or sanctioned.” But he also argues that the “receivership has not yet technically or legally begun” because defamed election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss never signed an oath, which “must have been administered by any person authorized to take acknowledgment of deeds by the real property law of New York State, and then filed with the Court before the Plaintiffs undertook the duties as Receivers.” “Even if the Plaintiffs could have filed the Oath at any time, the Plaintiffs failed to do so,” Cammarata wrote in a separate Christmas Eve filing. Earlier this month , attorneys for Freeman and Moss argued Giuliani “has not turned over a single dollar,” nor has he turned over a “number of specific items of personal property that he has been unambiguously ordered” to hand over — including the title to his Mercedes Benz convertible, keys to his Manhattan penthouse, valuable sports memorabilia and home furnishings. “It is unclear at this point even where those possessions are located,” they wrote in court filings. Giuliani has delivered a 1980 Mercedes Benz convertible , more than a dozen watches, and a “single diamond ring,” as well as access to his New York penthouse apartment, “but no keys or ownership documents,” leaving the women “to sort through significant logistical obstacles to a sale, including the presence of his ex-wife’s name on the title,” according to their attorneys. He also only delivered “some” of the items in a storage facility he was ordered to open for the women, they argued. During a court hearing last month , Liman warned Giuliani that he could face contempt sanctions for failing to meet his “unqualified obligation” to deliver all listed property to the women, but Giuliani “has neither complied with that obligation nor provided any explanation for why he could not do so,” according to attorneys for the women. In another hearing in November, Liman criticized Giuliani for “farcical” excuses about his assets. Following Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election, Giuliani falsely accused Freeman and Moss of manipulating election results in Georgia. They sued him for defamation in Washington, D.C., and in December 2023, a jury awarded them $148 million in damages. He then filed for bankruptcy, but after a protracted legal battle, the case was dismissed earlier this year to let Giuliani and his many creditors battle for control of his assets in separate courtrooms overseeing the lawsuits against him. Now, the 80-year-old former mayor faces even more financial penalties — or even jail — in the ongoing legal fallout from his false election claims during his spurious campaign to keep Trump in office. He will appear in court in D.C. on January 10, one week after he sits for a similar hearing in Manhattan, for allegedly breaking a court order against repeating defamatory statements about the women.Ruben Amorim has warned fans that "a storm will come" despite his positive start as head coach. Amorim is unbeaten in his three games in charge and led United to their biggest league victory since 2021 with a over on Sunday. The 39-year-old takes his team to on Wednesday and has suggested they will eventually be "found out" while the players continue to get to grips with his methods. "I would like to say different things, but I have to say it again: the storm will come," Amorim said. "I don't know if you use that expression, but we are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games. I know that because I know my players and I know football and I follow football. We are in the point in that we are putting simple things in the team, without training. "So let's focus on each game, on the performance, what we have to improve, trying to win games. And that is the focus. I know it's really hard to be a Manchester United coach and say these things in press conferences. "We want to win all the time, no matter what, we are going to try to win, but we know that we are in a different point, if you compare to Arsenal." While Amorim's players are still learning about his tactical system, Amorim is also learning about United. The Portuguese coach has been in the job for three weeks since , and he has admitted the attention and the workload which comes with managing one of the biggest clubs in the world has taken him by surprise. "A little bit, because you don't know how is life in this kind of club," he said. "So it's always a surprise. I think I can manage that, but you have to do so much more than coach the team. You improve and other things in yourself as a coach, you have to manage the time in a different way. "You have less time to prepare for the games, not just because you are playing after two days, but also because you have a lot to do. I can say I was a little bit surprised, but at the same time I was expecting something different."

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Fetterman rips Democrats’ ‘freakouts’ about his tentative support for OzThey were united against the country’s dictator. Now they have little in common W HEN REBELS reached Syria’s capital , Damascus, on December 8th, they did so from two directions. Fighters from the south were the first to arrive. From the north came members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ), a former affiliate of al-Qaeda that had led the push against the country’s dictator , Bashar al-Assad, over the preceding fortnight. The Syrian National Army ( SNA ) and Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ), two other important groups, were also involved in the fight to topple Mr Assad. This was the culmination of 13 years of bloody civil war. Soon after rebels reached the city, the president fled, ending more than 50 years of his family’s rule. Discover more Is RFK junior right to say America allows more toxins than the EU? He is, but things are slowly beginning to change What would it cost to kill coal? The price of shutting down coal power, and what would be gained Should America ban fluoride in its drinking water? The idea by Robert F. Kennedy junior—nominated by Donald Trump as health secretary—may have teeth Why is Donald Trump keen to use “recess appointments”? The president-elect is testing the loyalty of the Senate’s next majority leader Will Donald Trump’s power be unchecked if Republicans win the House? A “trifecta” of presidency, Senate and House of Representatives would provide a huge opportunity Why The Economist endorses political candidates Our independence is protected by our principles and structure

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US stocks take a breather, Asian bourses rise in post-Christmas tradeFor 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/mlbNone