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Juan Soto turned down Nationals' 13-year, $350 million contract offer

Published

6 months ago

February 16, 2022

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Still three years from free agency, outfielder Juan Soto turned down the Nationals’ 13-year, $350 million contract offer, according to a person with knowledge of the offer.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the offer wasn’t made public.

Soto confirmed to ESPN Deportes on Wednesday that the Nationals had made him an offer before the Major League Baseball lockout began in early December. The 23-year-old said he would like to stay in Washington, but his agents

Soto has been one of the best hitters in baseball since debuting as a teenager in 2018, bat .301 with an .981 OPS in four seasons. He helped the Nationals win the World Series in 2019 and finished runner-up in NL MVP voting last season.

“My agents and I think the best option is to go year after year and wait for free agency,” Soto told ESPN on Wednesday. “My agent, Scott Boras, is in control of that situation,”

The contract would have bought out the final three years of Soto’s team control, with the slugger scheduled to become a free agent after the 2024 season.

LOCKOUT: MLB spring training was supposed to start this week

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A potential extension for Soto has been a topic for the past few years, even more so since the San Diego Padres signed shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 14-year, $330 million extension in Feb. 2021.

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Related Topics:13year contract Juan million Nationals039 offer Soto turned

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Razzies royally torch 'Diana' musical and 'Space Jam 2,' show love to Oscar favorite Will Smith

Published

5 months ago

March 26, 2022

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In its proclamation of the worst films of 2021, the Razzies lambasted a critically reviled Princess Diana musical and LeBron James’ “Space Jam” sequel, but spread love instead of hate for Will Smith.

The Golden Raspberry Awards, annually announced the day before the Academy Awards, bestowed five dishonors on Netflix’s “Diana: The Musical,” a filmed production of the recent Broadway show that closed after 33 performances. “Diana” beat out “Infinite,” “Karen,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and “The Woman in the Window” for worst picture, plus picked up worst screenplay and worst actress for star Jeanna de Waal.

“New Legacy,” the live-action/animated hybrid basketball comedy featuring James hooping it up with Bugs Bunny and Co., earned three Razzie awards. James was named worst actor and also was saddled with worst screen couple – which went to James and “Any Warner Cartoon Character (or WarnerMedia Product) He Dribbles On” – while the movie snagged worst sequel.

How to watch the 2022 Oscars:Everything you should know about Sunday’s Academy Awards

“House of Gucci” star Jared Leto lost his Screen Actors Guild race for best supporting actor but nabbed the Razzie for worst. And Bruce Willis does so many VOD movies now that he received his own special category (worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie) that, to no one’s surprise, he won – for “Cosmic Sin.”

Smith, who’s expected to win the best actor Oscar Sunday for “King Richard,” received this year’s Razzie Redeemer Award for previous Razzie honorees who’ve come back with quality efforts. Recent winners include Ben Affleck, Sylvester Stallone, Melissa McCarthy and Eddie Murphy.

The full list of this year’s Razzie “winners”:

Worst picture: “Diana: The Musical”

Worst actor: LeBron James, “Space Jam: A New Legacy”

Worst actress: Jeanna de Waal, “Diana: The Musical”

Worst supporting actress: Judy Kaye, “Diana: The Musical”

Worst supporting actor: Jared Leto, “House of Gucci”

Worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie: Bruce Willis, “Cosmic Sin”

Worst screen couple: LeBron James and Any Warner Cartoon Character

(or WarnerMedia Product) He Dribbles On, “Space Jam: A New Legacy”

Worst remake, rip-off or sequel: “Space Jam: A New Legacy”

Worst director: Christopher Ashley, “Diana: The Musical”

Worst screenplay: “Diana: The Musical”

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Business

As more marijuana dispensaries get targeted by robbers, SAFE Banking Act lingers in Congress

Published

5 months ago

March 26, 2022

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Weed dispensaries targeted by robbers: Will SAFE Banking Act help?

A bill that could allow electronic transactions at weed dispensaries nationwide is again make its way through Congress but the SAFE Banking Act might not be the cure-all that supporters envision.

In over a decade of operating cannabis shops in Washington, Shea Hynes never once worried about his stores getting robbed at gun point – until recently: In a span of three weeks, his stores were robbed three different times at gun point.

Reports of armed robberies at cannabis dispensaries like Hynes’ have nearly doubled in the first quarter of this year compared with all of last year, according to data maintained by the Craft Cannabis Coalition. The group, which represents more than 50 stores in Washington, has recorded more than 65 armed robberies so far this year, compared with 35 in 2021 and 29 in 2020.

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Travel

Takeaways from Friday's Sweet 16: North Carolina looks like national title contender

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5 months ago

March 26, 2022

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CHICAGO — In a ridiculous coincidence, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks wrote NCAA Tournament history on National Peacock Day with a thrilling upset of Purdue.

The mid-major became the first-ever No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, outdoing previous No. 15 seeds Oral Roberts (2021) and Florida Gulf Coast (2013). Exactly 0.8% of people picked the Peacocks to get this far, with the school from Jersey City, New Jersey, defying all odds. Is Saint Peter’s the best Cinderella of all time?

Meanwhile, the ACC is sitting pretty with three teams – Duke and now North Carolina and Miami (Fla.) – in the Elite Eight on the same day the Big Ten saw its last team go down.

A look at three key takeaways from Friday:

Saint Peter’s writes NCAA history

Coach Shaheen Holloway has this team playing inspired basketball, and now the Peacocks (22-11) are just one win from the Final Four. The best Cinderellas of the last two decades to reach Final Fours – George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011, Loyola-Chicago (2018) all were double-digit seeded mid-majors. But none was as highly seeded as this Saint Peter’s team that’s now beaten No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue.

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While other bracket-busting NCAA Tournament darlings of yesteryear have had flair (FGCU’s “Dunk City”) or a lovable fan (Loyola’s Sister Jean), this team from the MAAC is doing it with defense, namely with nine steals. In spite of being undersized against the Boilermakers, the Peacocks used aggressiveness and hustle to outduel their seemingly superior opponent behind 6-8 freshman Clarence Rubert and 6-7 junior Hassan Drame. Daryl Banks III (14 points) is the go-to scorer for Saint Peter’s, but Mr. Clutch has been guard Doug Edert (10 points) off the bench. One stat to note: a 19-for-21 clip from the free-throw line. What’s been most impressive is the Peacocks’ ability to stay hungry and poised under pressure, winning close games in all three NCAA Tournament matchups.

Blue-bloods show title potential

Duke and Villanova advanced on Thursday, and fellow blue-bloods Kansas and North Carolina will now join them in the Elite Eight. And yes, if both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels win Sunday, we could see them meet in the Final Four.

Ever since North Carolina embarrassed Duke in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Heels have been red-hot – knocking out No. 1 Baylor in the previous game in overtime. That continued against a UCLA team that reached the Final Four last year and seemed destined to get back. Caleb Love was brilliant again, finishing with 30 points off six three-pointers. Armando Bacot’s tip-in with 22 seconds left sealed the win in another impressive outing for coach Hubert Davis’ resilient team.

The last remaining No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, Kansas stayed alive, escaping Providence by five points. It’s coach Bill Self’s ninth trip to the Elite Eight with Kansas and 11th of his career, as the Jayhawks (31-6) are one win from the Final Four. They’ve now won eight in a row and are looking like a title contender after entering the NCAA Tourney having won the Big 12 tournament.

The secret weapon for Kansas has been guard Remy Martin. For the third consecutive tournament game, Kansas got a jolt off the bench from the fiery Martin (23 points), the Arizona State transfer who has erupted in these NCAAs after playing a reserve role throughout 2021-22.

ACC > Big Ten

Despite garnering nine NCAA Tournament bids on Selection Sunday – the most of any conference – the Big Ten is out following Purdue’s stunning exit vs. Saint Peter’s. The league tanked in the first two rounds, with No. 5 Iowa – the conference tourney champ – getting upset by Richmond in the first round. No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Illinois, No. 7 Michigan State and No. 7 Ohio State all lost in the second round. And now, with Michigan’s loss to Villanova, the overall underachievement is on full display. That’s a 9-9 finish in the tournament.