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.
American University to Welcome Recent Graduate Sean Astin, SPA/MPAP '24, as Commencement Speaker for Fall CommencementTwo-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning is among the 15 modern-era finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, announced Saturday. The No. 1 overall pick in 2004, Manning played 16 seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants. He played 236 regular-season games (234 starts) with the Giants, who acquired the Ole Miss product in a draft-day trade with the the Chargers for No. 4 pick Philip Rivers, and threw for just over 57,000 yards. Manning beat the Patriots in Super Bowls XLII -- New England was 18-0 -- and XLVI with fourth-quarter drives to take the lead. Manning is one of 22 quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl without losing one. Older brother Peyton Manning was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. In addition to Manning, former NFL Defensive Player of the Year recipients Terrell Suggs and Luke Kuechly, offensive lineman Marshal Yanda and clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri also are looking to be elected in their first year of eligibility. The selection committee will vote next month to tab three to five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl. The following is the complete list of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Modern-Era finalists: --Eric Allen, cornerback: 1988-94 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders --Jared Allen, defensive end: 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-13 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers --Willie Anderson, tackle: 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens --Jahri Evans, guard: 2006-16 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers --Antonio Gates, tight end: 2003-18 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers --Torry Holt, wide receiver: 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars --Luke Kuechly, linebacker: 2012-19 Carolina Panthers --Eli Manning, quarterback: 2004-19 New York Giants --Steve Smith Sr., wide receiver: 2001-13 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens --Terrell Suggs, outside linebacker/defensive end: 2003-18 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs --Fred Taylor, running back: 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-10 New England Patriots --Adam Vinatieri, kicker: 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-19 Indianapolis Colts --Reggie Wayne, wide receiver: 2001-14 Indianapolis Colts --Darren Woodson, safety: 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys --Marshal Yanda, guard/tackle: 2007-19 Baltimore Ravens --Field Level MediaGeneral Motors announced Tuesday that it is slamming the brakes on its Cruise robotaxi program , dealing a blow to the automaker's plans to place advanced technology at the forefront of its business development. GM said it would no longer fund the controversial robotaxi project due to the "considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market," the company told the Wall Street Journal . The timing of the surprising move comes after Cruise pleaded guilty last month to submitting a false report to influence a federal investigation. Cruise was ordered to pay a $500,000 criminal fine to settle the case. The Department of Justice said Cruise failed to disclose details of an October 2023 crash in San Francisco , where one of its robotaxis struck and seriously injured a pedestrian. GM expects the move to cut spending by more than $1 billion annually after the plan is completed by the end of June, the statement said.HONEYWELL AND BOMBARDIER SIGN LANDMARK AGREEMENT TO DELIVER THE NEXT GENERATION OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY; HONEYWELL UPDATES 2024 OUTLOOK
EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Jameela Jamil says men who made her fake porn are cowards By RICHARD EDEN FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 22:34, 10 December 2024 | Updated: 22:43, 10 December 2024 e-mail View comments The Duchess of Sussex has claimed that she is the 'most trolled person in the world', saying the effect on her health is 'almost unsurvivable'. Her friend Jameela Jamil , however, refuses to be seen as a victim of the most revolting form of online abuse. The actress and model recently discovered that she was the subject of 'deep fake' pornography, in which her face was digitally added to the body of a porn actress. 'There is this preconceived certainty that I would feel mortified and violated,' she says. 'Obviously, the matter is worth taking seriously, and the women and girls featured in this falsified imagery sometimes experience horrendous bullying, shaming and job insecurity, which is completely unacceptable and frankly, insane. 'I also know there is a risk of people having their faces imposed on what looks like illegal acts of a sexual nature and so on and so forth. It's a slippery slope...I registered the full implication of this loathsome use of technology.' However, Jameela, 38, who lives in Los Angeles with her musician boyfriend James Blake, says: 'Instead, I felt detached. It wasn't me. I'm not there. The Duchess of Sussex has claimed that she is the 'most trolled person in the world', saying the effect on her health is 'almost unsurvivable' Her friend Jameela Jamil , however, refuses to be seen as a victim of the most revolting form of online abuse 'I am not actually involved. Why is this being brought to my door as if it's my problem? If anything, I felt a little sad for the people who made these videos.' Jameela, is a friend of Meghan and appeared on her podcast, Archetypes. She also wrote an article for the 2019 issue of Vogue when Meghan was guest editor, with her photograph appearing on the front cover. Writing on Substack, Jameela says: 'I don't think simply crying “misogyny” achieves anything. This behaviour is a symptom of something. 'These men are in crisis. They are filling an inner void carved out with tools of isolation, depression and helplessness, with these cowardly little aggressions. 'What if we collectively shun the shame, and recycle it into pity?' Alicia’s MBE accessories won’t stop her Fashion consultant Alicia Hempleman-Adams broke female airship world records earlier this year when she reached an altitude of 4,100ft on a solo flight in America. Yesterday, Alicia Hempleman-Adams used crutches to collect her MBE from King Charles at Windsor Castle after breaking her ankle Painfully, records aren’t the only things she’s broken. Yesterday, the 35-year-old daughter of adventurer Sir David Hempleman-Adams used crutches to collect her MBE from King Charles at Windsor Castle after breaking her ankle. ‘His Majesty asked me why,’ Alice tells me, explaining: ‘I had a hard landing in a balloon last month in Germany. I should be ready to fly after Christmas.’ Observer outrage The Guardian supports strikers – apart from at its own newspaper, apparently. Some journalists who went on strike last week over plans to sell its sister title The Observer were surprised their pay would be docked. A management source tells me: ‘When union members choose to strike, they don’t get paid. The NUJ advised them of this.’ Fogle's accent Speaking the King’s English may have helped Ben Fogle impress Peter Townend – the Tatler man who bequeathed his estimated £345,000 estate to him when he died in 2001. And the presenter, 51, says he stands out from his pals: ‘I’ve got a relatively posh Received Pronunciation accent. I’m in the minority who try to wear it with confidence. Most of my friends have “mockney” accents, posing as gangsters.’ Demetra calls it quits In its time, it has called upon the expertise of such disparate figures as ‘Steel Magnolia’ divorce lawyer Baroness (Fiona) Shackleton and SAS officer-turned-courtier Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton. But the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales must now learn to live without the talents of Demetra Pinsent, wife of gold medal-winning rower Sir Matthew Pinsent. I can reveal she has stood down after eight years as a trustee. But Demetra, 50, won’t be resting on her laurels. She remains chief executive of Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty empire – which was valued at £1.3 billion four years ago. More gold lies ahead, I suspect... The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales must now learn to live without the talents of Demetra Pinsent, wife of gold medal-winning rower Sir Matthew Pinsent Europe Council's £200m shindig Sir Keir Starmer keeps telling us that money is tight, yet I hear that his Government is going to spend £200 million on foreign junkets for just 18 parliamentarians. Foreign office minister Lady Chapman has confirmed that Britain will continue to take part in the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, which holds regular shindigs in Strasbourg and elsewhere. The group is described as a human rights body, but until recently Russian politicians used to attend the meetings. Lady Chapman, asked by Scottish laird and former Ukip leader Lord Pearson how much the Government would be paying for these events, disclosed that it would be ‘something in the region of £40 million a year’. That means that over the course of this Parliament, the bill will reach a staggering £200 million. Craig's confession He played James Bond in five films and has an estimated fortune of £125 million. Yet Daniel Craig admits he envies other actors. ‘I get jealous all the time, of every f***ing actor who gets a job I’d like, but I admit to it,’ says Craig, 56. ‘Someone gave me great advice earlier on – don’t get bitter, it’ll eat you up.’ Jameela Jamil Los Angeles Share or comment on this article: EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Jameela Jamil says men who made her fake porn are cowards e-mail Add commentUN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands immediate Gaza ceasefire
