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The Arizona Diamondbacks made one of the biggest moves of the MLB offseason early Saturday morning when they inked Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract, emerging seemingly out of nowhere to reel in one of the biggest fish of the offseason. With Blake Snell, Max Fried, Sean Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi and Yusei Kikuchi also already signed in free agency, and both Garrett Crochet and Jesús Luzardo on the move via trade, the starting pitching market has dwindled considerably since the start of the offseason. However, there are still some impact arms looking for a new home, led by Japanese League star Roki Sasaki and World Series champion Jack Flaherty. Ahead is an updated look at the top remaining free agency and trade targets on the starting pitching market in the wake of the Burnes signing. Free Agents RHP Kyle Gibson RHP Lance Lynn LHP Martín Pérez RHP Cal Quantrill LHP José Quintana RHP Colin Rea RHP Spencer Turnbull RHP Trevor Williams LHP Ryan Yarbrough Trade Candidates LHP Steven Matz, STL LHP Jordan Montgomery, ARI 10. RHP Michael Lorenzen, Free Agent (Age: 32) Stats: 26 G, 24 GS, 7-6, 3.31 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 60 BB, 97 K, 130.1 IP, 2.6 WAR After an All-Star selection in 2023, Lorenzen was one of the last notable free agents to sign last winter, agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Rangers on March 22. He doesn't miss many bats, striking out just 18.1 percent of the hitters he faced this past season, but he is a solid back-of-the-rotation option capable of pitching above that level at times. 9. RHP Justin Verlander, Free Agent (Age: 41) Stats: 17 GS, 5-6, 5.48 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 27 BB, 74 K, 90.1 IP, -0.3 WAR Verlander had a 4.16 ERA over 67 innings through his first 12 starts in 2024 before a brutal month of September, so his overall performance was not as bad as his final numbers might suggest. He no longer possesses elite velocity, but he is a future Hall of Famer who knows how to pitch, and he is still capable of being an effective back-of-the-rotation option. 8. RHP Max Scherzer, Free Agent (Age: 40) Stats: 9 GS, 2-4, 3.95 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10 BB, 40 K, 43.1 IP, 0.4 WAR A shoulder issue limited Scherzer to just nine starts last season, so his health is a question mark, but he was still an effective option when he did take the mound. He profiles more as a four- or five-inning guy at this point rather than a workhorse, but in the right situation he can still be an asset to the staff. 7. LHP Andrew Heaney, Free Agent (Age: 33) Stats: 32 G, 31 GS, 5-14, 4.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 41 BB, 159 K, 160.0 IP, 0.8 WAR Heaney led a banged up Rangers staff with 31 starts and eclipsed 150 innings pitched for the second time in his career in 2024, and he more than earned his two-year, $25 million deal the past two seasons. With 1,070 strikeouts in 1,014.1 career innings, he has always missed plenty of bats, and he could provide solid value on a similar deal. 6. RHP Erick Fedde, Trade Candidate (Age: 31) Stats: 31 GS, 9-9, 3.30 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 52 BB, 154 K, 177.1 IP, 5.6 WAR Fedde won KBO MVP honors in 2023 when he finished 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 180.1 innings, and he returned stateside a different pitcher last year after inking a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox. He was traded to the Cardinals at the 2024 deadline, and now that they are headed for a youth movement, he is squarely on the trade block and carries wide appeal thanks to a team-friendly $7.5 million salary. Age: 31 Stats: 27 G, 26 GS, 6-12, 4.14 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 36 BB, 172 K, 145.2 IP, 1.8 WAR Nick Pivetta was one of the few legitimate candidates to potentially accept a qualifying offer this winter, but he ultimately turned down the one-year, $21.05 million contract in favor of testing the free agency waters. The right-hander has quietly posted four straight seasons with at least 170 strikeouts, and he also posted a career-low 2.2 walks per nine innings during the 2024 season, down significantly from 3.5 BB/9 over the first seven years of his career. The draft pick compensation tied to signing him is a factor, but he can slot in as a solid No. 3 starter on a contending team thanks to his swing-and-miss stuff. Age: 32 Stats: 30 GS, 11-12, 3.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 47 BB, 175 K, 175.1 IP, 1.8 WAR The emergence of up-and-coming arms Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo has put the Seattle Mariners in an enviable position where they can potentially trade from an area of strength by shopping Luis Castillo. The three-time All-Star had another solid overall season in 2024, and while his stuff took a slight step backward and his strikeout rate dropped from 27.3 to 24.3 percent, he was still a solid No. 2/3 starter. He will make $24.15 million annually each of the next three seasons, and he also has a $25 million vesting option for 2028 based on health and innings pitched. Age: 29 Stats: 28 GS, 13-7, 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 38 BB, 194 K, 162.0 IP, 3.1 WAR After years of battling injuries and then command issues in 2023, Jack Flaherty signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers last winter hoping to rebuild his stock, and he ended up being one of the best value signings of the offseason. He ended up serving as the co-ace of the staff for the Dodgers during their run to the World Series after joining them at the trade deadline. He struggled to a 7.36 ERA in 22 innings of work during the playoffs, though he did turn in a terrific start in Game 1 of the NLCS (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER). His age is a major chip in his favor in a market littered with pitchers on the other side of 30 years old, and he has strikeout stuff when everything is clicking, but his inconsistent track record and shaky October might be the reason he is still looking for his next contract. Age: 29 Stats: 33 GS, 14-11, 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 65 BB, 224 K, 189.1 IP, 4.2 WAR Could the San Diego Padres be major players on the trade market once again this offseason? Last winter, they traded away Juan Soto ahead of his final season of arbitration control, only to turn around and acquire Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. Now they are reportedly shopping Cease. "There is no indication any deal is imminent, but this is more than just fielding phone calls. League sources characterized the talks regarding Cease as being anywhere from "trying to unload Cease" to the Padres being "open to" trading the right-hander," wrote Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune shortly after the winter meetings. Cease is poised to be one of the most sought after pitchers on the free-agent market next winter, and if the Padres don't plan to sign him long-term, then now is the time to sell high. Trading him could also be part of a domino effect set off by them signing the No. 1 player on this list... Age: 23 Stats: 18 GS, 10-5, 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 32 BB, 129 K, 111.0 IP It's not every day that a 23-year-old who is capable of stepping right into a big league rotation and potentially pitching at an ace-caliber level hits the open market. Roki Sasaki has officially been posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines, and teams now have until Jan. 23 to negotiate with the Japanese League star, though spending will be limited by the international bonus pool limitations. The assumption is that he will wait to sign until after the new international signing period begins on Jan. 15, when all 30 teams will have a full bonus pool at their disposal, though money will likely not be the determining factor in where he lands. The Dodgers and Padres are the heavy favorites to sign him, but there is still time for a mystery team to make its move. Armed with a 70-grade fastball that regularly touches triple-digits, a lethal splitter and a plus slider, he checks all the boxes to be a star on the mound for the next decade.

The Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region ( MDoNER ) is set to host the Northeast Trade and Investment Roadshow in Mumbai on December 16, 2024. The event will be addressed by Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for MDoNER, along with Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura, and Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Key officials, including Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, MDoNER, and Monalisa Dash, Joint Secretary, MDoNER, will also attend, along with senior representatives from various North Eastern states. 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This event is being organized in partnership with the State Governments of the Northeastern states , FICCI (Industry Partner), and Invest India (Investment Facilitation Partner). The Mumbai Roadshow marks the sixth event in the ongoing series, showcasing presentations from the eight North Eastern states— Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. These states will highlight a diverse range of investment opportunities in key sectors, including agri-food processing and allied sectors, IT & ITES, entertainment & sports, energy, infrastructure & logistics, tourism & hospitality, education &skill development, healthcare etc.—all critical to driving economic growth in the region. The government stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji envisioned the mission of 'Viksit Bharat and Viksit Northeast.' Over the last decade, tremendous efforts have been undertaken to enhance infrastructure across the region through development of roadways, highways, airways, railways, and waterways. These initiatives have positively impacted the lives of the people in the region, leading to a surge in tourism and economic activities. The government added, “The Northeast Investor Summit aligns with this vision, serving as a catalyst to attract investments and unlock the untapped potential of the region, further propelling its journey toward prosperity and development. Previous roadshows in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, as well as the state seminar at Vibrant Gujarat, have generated significant interest from potential investors. Building on these efforts, MDoNER also held a signing and exchange of MoUs event for the Northeast Investors Summit on 6th March 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, facilitating discussions between senior officials and investors”. 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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ signing of Blake Snell became official Saturday, adding the two-time Cy Young Award winner to front a starting rotation stocked with question marks. Snell, who will turn 32 next week, agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract that includes a $52 million signing bonus and $65 million in deferred salary. That deal was pending a physical which Snell passed. The 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Tampa Bay Rays, Snell won the National League Cy Young in 2023 after going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA for the San Diego Padres. He became a free agent last winter but stayed on the market well into March looking for a long-term deal that never materialized despite his Cy Young history. The Dodgers were involved with Snell at one point before he signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants that included an opt-out clause. He exercised that opt-out after going 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in an injury-interrupted season with the Giants. He had 145 strikeouts and just 44 walks in 104 innings. But he made just 20 starts due to two trips to the injured list with a groin injury (likely related to his late signing affecting his preparation for the season). The 20 starts were his fewest in a full season since his rookie year in 2016 (19 starts). Snell goes to the front of a rotation that includes a number of players returning from injury and/or surgery. Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to pitching after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023. But his return to the mound will be delayed by surgery on his non-throwing shoulder following the World Series. Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished the 2024 season healthy but missed three months with a rotator cuff strain. Neither he nor Ohtani will be asked to pitch on less than five days of rest and the Dodgers are planning to go with a six-man rotation in 2025. Related Articles Tyler Glasnow’s 2024 season ended early with an elbow injury and his status for 2025 is uncertain. Tony Gonsolin will be returning from Tommy John surgery. Dustin May did not pitch in 2024 while recovering from his own elbow surgery and a torn esophagus. Emmet Sheehan is expected back at some point in 2025 after his Tommy John surgery. Clayton Kershaw is expected to re-sign at some point. But he underwent foot and knee surgeries in November and is not likely to be available for a full season. Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty are free agents. The Dodgers will start the 2025 season early again with another trip to Asia. They are scheduled to open the regular season with two games against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo."I want it to belong to Ukraine." Maguchikh aims to break Russian record

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The Minnesota Wild’s in-game entertainment folks make sure that no matter what happens on the ice, home games are quite a spectacle of music and light. But after nearly a month, Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek had done more than enough of watching the show. On Sunday, Eriksson Ek returned to the Wild lineup after missing the previous 11 games with a lower-body injury. “It’s never fun being injured. So yeah, happy to be back for sure,” said Eriksson Ek, following the team’s morning skate at TRIA Rink. During a Dec. 3 home win over Vancouver, Eriksson Ek left the ice during overtime after a collision with Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk. “I think we hit each other’s knees,” Eriksson Ek said. “So yeah, just an unlucky play.” The Wild went 5-6-0 with their top-line center missing, including a season-worst, four-game losing streak. While Kirill Kaprizov missed a second consecutive game and his third of the season on Sunday, Minnesota coach John Hynes struck an optimistic note about getting two-thirds of the team’s standard top line back together to face Ottawa. “It was nice that he had a full practice yesterday and feels good, so getting him back is obviously always a benefit,” he said. “With who he is as a player, who he is as a guy and what he means to our team, it’s good.” In 22 games with the Wild this season, Eriksson Ek has five goals and eight assists for 13 points, normally playing center between Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, when all three are healthy. That has been a rarity this season, as the trio has combined to miss 29 games among the 37 that the Wild have played. World Juniors 2026 prep underway While the Ottawa Senators were in Minnesota on Sunday, around two dozen folks from the State of Hockey are in Ottawa this week, attending the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship and planning for a year from now when the world’s best young hockey talent comes to Minnesota. The Senators’ home rink and a secondary site in Ottawa are hosting the 2025 event, while starting in December 2025 the games will be played at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis and Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Twin Cities last hosted the World Juniors — which is considered second only to the Olympics among global hockey events — in 1982, with the since-demolished Met Center used as one of the rinks. The group visiting Ottawa included officials from both local arenas, several people from Minnesota Sports and Events and Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne, who is one of the local ambassadors for the 2026 World Juniors.The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abubakar Dantsoho has projected a 30 per cent growth in trade volume by 2030. He made this known at the 2024 edition of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) conference and awards, held recently in Lagos. He noted that the ongoing improvements in port infrastructure will create over one million jobs by 2028, and a doubling of the sector’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution from 1.5 per cent to 3 per cent by 2035. Presenting a paper titled: “Nigeria’s Blue Economy and Ports Infrastructural Development: The NPA Perspective” at the national conference, Dr Dantsoho highlighted the vast investment opportunities in Nigeria’s blue economy, which he noted to include areas like the development of inland waterways, expansion of port infrastructure, and maritime technology solutions. The conference had as its theme: “Nigeria’s Maritime/Blue Economy Industry under the Renewed Hope Agenda: What is New?” Dantsoho, who was represented by the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Adebowale Ibrahim, described the blue economy as a pivotal driver of sustainable development, disclosing that the government has created an enabling environment for investments through policy reforms, incentives, and partnerships with international organisations. “The blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems.” With Nigeria’s 853-kilometer coastline and extensive inland waterways, the nation is uniquely positioned to harness these resources for economic diversification,” he said. Dr Dantsoho emphasised the critical role of ports in facilitating the blue economy. According to him, the NPA is at the forefront of advancing the sector by ensuring efficient port operations, adopting eco-friendly technologies, generating significant national revenue, and enhancing maritime security. The NPA’s strategic focus, he said, aligns with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” to drive growth and sustainability in the maritime sector. Key sectors of the blue economy identified by the NPA boss include maritime transportation, fisheries and aquaculture, energy resources, tourism and recreation, and seabed mining. He highlighted the immense potential of these sectors in driving economic diversification and creating opportunities for Nigerians.. He said the growth would be achievable through strategic investments and partnerships that would drive efficiency, sustainability and innovation in port operations. To achieve the ambitious goals, he said, the NPA is adopting a multi-pronged funding approach, including increased government budgetary allocations for critical port projects, harnessing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) expertise and funding. Others, he listed, are partnering with development banks and global agencies and channelling revenue generated by ports back into infrastructure and service improvements. He, however, acknowledged the challenges facing the maritime sector, such as infrastructure deficits, funding inadequacies and security concerns. Dantsoho outlined actionable solutions to the challenges to include, accelerated investments in port infrastructure, strengthened maritime security through collaborations with global organisations and policy reforms to attract both foreign and domestic investors. He further reaffirmed NPA’s commitment to driving the Blue Economy forward and positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime hub in West and Central Africa.

Percentages: FG .449, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 5-10, .500 (Benjamin 2-5, Martinez 1-1, N.Krass 1-1, Harrison 1-2, Miles 0-1). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 3. Blocked Shots: 2 (Benjamin, Mpaka). Turnovers: 11 (Harrison 4, Benjamin 2, Martinez 2, N.Krass 2, Miles). Steals: 5 (Harrison 3, Miles 2). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .320, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 9-28, .321 (Aranguren 4-10, Robinson 2-4, Gadsden 1-1, Farmer 1-2, Sanders 1-6, Davis 0-5). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 7 (Sunday 3, Aranguren, Davis, Graham, Sanders). Turnovers: 9 (Davis 4, Sunday 2, Aranguren, Farmer, Sanders). Steals: 5 (Aranguren 3, Davis 2). Technical Fouls: None. A_362 (4,000).ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Sydney Shaw scored 20 points and made four 3-pointers, JJ Quinerly added 14 points and No. 12 West Virginia handed Boise State its first loss, 82-47 on Saturday in the Gulf Coast Showcase. West Virginia advances to the championship game on Sunday, while Boise State plays for third place. The Mountaineers have started 8-0 in back-to-back seasons after last year's 11-0 beginning. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

The Social Security program is under a lot of stress. Budget cuts and increased beneficiaries have made it so that the service they can give is not as good as it should be, especially considering the number of recipients that benefit from the program. Administration Chief Martin O’Malley confirmed this by stating in the first House SSA hearing for a decade that customer service is at its worst point in Social Security’s 89-year history. During the hearing on November 20 th , Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley told the House Appropriations Committee that at least thirty thousand people died while waiting for their disability evaluations in 2023, and that is a funding problem that he, and many before him, have been warning about for years. Commissioner O’Malley is now resigning to start his run for Democratic National Convention chair and no progress have been made to restore funding for staffing and increase funding for technology modernization, both sorely needed by the Social Security Administration. In fact, not only has the budget not increased, it has been repeatedly cut, the last of the cuts being a half-billion-dollar cut to the Social Security Administration budget in July. This was the largest ever made by the House Appropriations Committee and has caused staffing to hit a 50-year low at the same time as the number of people claiming Social Security hit an all-time high. This is not good news for anyone and leads to situations like the previous one explained where beneficiaries just pass away without receiving the help they are owed. Commissioner O’Malley stated, “We cannot stand back and watch this agency crater. It is a sacred promise to the people of the United States; they’ve worked their entire lives so Social Security would be there for them.” Of the $2.7 trillion in Social Security reserves only 0.3% can be accessed for administrative costs and 75% of this is spent on staffing. It is not enough to sustain the agency, and Commissioner O’Malley has asked the committee to restore the accessible amount to 1.2%. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn agrees with the commissioner stating that cuts to the SSA budget, which don’t contribute to reducing the deficit, are de facto cuts to Social Security benefits. As Commissioner O’Malley rhetorically asks, “What good are benefits if you can’t get through on the phone to access them?” As per usual, GOP Lawmakers were against restoring the staffing budget to a reasonable number, citing the SSA’s policy of allowing staff to work from home two days a week. In defense of his staff, Commissioner O’Malley reminded lawmakers that productivity had increased by 6%, and some claimants now preferred to conduct their meetings over the phone Karl Polzer from the Center on Capital and Social Equity explained to The Wash “ Social Security has a trust fund that runs out in 2035, so the agency says if Congress doesn’t fix the solvency issue, which is a big issue, they’re going to have to cut benefits by about 20%. In the past, Social Security collected more money than it’s paying out. Since 2021, it’s paying out more money than it’s going in.” The future of Social Security The agency has set a new target of 215 days of wait time, which should cut down on the current average of 243 days , but places like Georgia have a wait time for disability evaluations of 14 months, which means more efforts will need to be made there. Commissioner O’Malley sought a $5 billion one-time investment to modernize the systems for the future as well as $600 million more a year for fixed costs to avoid “the grim reaper of attrition.” He stated that “One of my deep concerns about this agency when I depart next Friday is a looming problem on the horizon of antiquated IT systems totally breaking down or being shut down by bad actors.” His final appeal to the House Appropriations Committee was to restore funding to help their constituents, “I know you’ve received their calls, I know you’ve heard their cries.”

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