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Cardinals' feel-good month comes to a screeching halt after a head-scratching loss to SeahawksBuchanan scores 28 off the bench, Boise State downs South Dakota State 83-82

Cam Johnson scored 26 points, Nic Claxton had 16 and the shorthanded Nets beat the Indiana Pacers, 99-90, on Wednesday night at Barclay Center to end a three-game losing streak. Shake Milton had 15 points off the bench for the Nets. The 6-8 Johnson, who missed the Nets' last game with a sprained ankle, is off to a strong start this season. He has been averaging a career-high 18.1 points coming into Wednesday night. Johnson has scored at least 20 points in nine games this season. The Nets have been hit hard by injuries. Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle), Ziaire Williams (left knee) and Noah Clowney (left ankle) were sidelined. T.J. McConnell had 14 points for Indiana, and Tyrese Haliburton had 13. The Pacers have lost four in a row and seven of 10. After Indiana's Pascal Siakam scored four consecutive points to tie it at 80 with 8:08 left, the Nets responded with a 10-0 run — making it 90-80 on Jaylen Wilson's basket with 5:57 remaining. Indiana got off to a slow start and shot just 13 for 39 from the field and 4 for 18 from long distance in the first half. They turned the ball over 12 times. The Nets outscored Indiana 19-10 over the last eight minutes. The Pacers did a better job of protecting the ball in the second half and had only four turnovers after having 12 in the first half.

LOS ANGELES — The partnership between the NFL and Jay-Z and his entertainment company, Roc Nation, won't change despite a woman accusing the rapper and business mogul of raping her when she was 13 years old, league commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was added as a defendant Sunday to a civil lawsuit filed against fellow hip-hop star Sean "Diddy" Combs in U.S. District Court in New York. The complaint, originally filed in October, now alleges that the two men raped the 13-year-old at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. Combs and Jay-Z have denied the accusations, with the latter issuing a lengthy statement Sunday vowing to fight the "idiotic" charges. Goodell addressed the issue with reporters following the conclusion of the NFL owners meetings in Irving, Texas. "We're aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z's really strong response to that," Goodell said. "And we know obviously the litigation's happening now. And from our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl." In 2019, Roc Nation signed a deal with the NFL to consult on live music entertainment and social justice issues. The partnership has resulted in several well-received Super Bowl halftime shows — including performances by the Weeknd, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez as co-headliners, Rihanna and a West Coast hip-hip lineup that featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and more — and was renewed in October. Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who had three Billboard No. 1 hits in 2024, will be the halftime performer at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Music superstar Beyoncé, who is Jay-Z's wife, will perform during halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas Day on Netflix. "I think they're getting incredibly comfortable with not just the Super Bowl but other events they've advised us on, helped us with," Goodell said of Roc Nation. "They've been helpful in the social justice area to us on many occasions. They've been great partners that have provided a lot of great value for us." Combs has been charged by federal prosecutors with crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering. No co-conspirators have been named, but the prosecutors have stated their investigation is ongoing. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.EDMONTON - Alberta’s Technology Minister Nate Glubish says he’s hoping to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centres under construction within the next five years. Such centres are filled with computer servers used by companies like Meta to develop and train large-scale artificial intelligence models. Glubish says Meta, as well as other major companies including Google and Amazon, are on the hunt for space to build more facilities, and he wants Alberta to be an option. He says landing some data centres would create jobs and bring in much needed new tax revenue for the province. Glubish also says that since Alberta’s electricity grid regulations allows for off-grid power generation, he thinks the province is an ideal location. He says allowing for off-grid power connections where power generators supply data centres directly also means there’s less risk for Albertans, as there wouldn’t be major drains on the electrical grid. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024.

Kroger and Albertsons' plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history crumbled Wednesday, with Albertsons pulling out of the $24.6 billion deal and the two companies accusing each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through. Albertsons said it had filed a lawsuit against Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger said the claims were "baseless" and that Albertsons was not entitled to the fee. "After reviewing options, the company determined it is no longer in its best interests to pursue the merger," Kroger said in a statement Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after two judges halted the proposed merger in separate court cases. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson in Oregon issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday blocking the merger until an in-house judge at the Federal Trade Commission could consider the matter. An hour later, Superior Court Judge Marshall Ferguson in Seattle issued a permanent injunction barring the merger. Ferguson ruled that combining Albertsons and Kroger would lessen competition and violate consumer-protection laws. The companies could have appealed the rulings or proceeded to the in-house FTC hearings. Albertsons' decision to pull out of deal instead surprised some industry experts. "I'm in a state of professional and commercial shock that they would take this scorched earth approach," said Burt Flickinger, a longtime analyst and owner of retail consulting firm Strategic Resource Group. "The logical thing would have been for Albertsons to let the decision sink in for a day and then meet and see what could be done. But the lawsuit seems to make that a moot issue." Albertsons is unlikely to find another merger partner because it has significant debt and underperforming stores in most of its markets., Flickinger said. Consumers will feel the most immediate impact of the deal's demise, he said, since Albertsons charges 12% to 14% more than Kroger and other grocery rivals. "They had so much debt they had to pay it off it's reflected in their pricing and promotional structure," Flickinger said. Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran testified during the federal hearing in September that his company might consider "structural options" like laying off employees, closing stores and exiting certain markets if the merger with Kroger didn't go through. "I would have to consider that," he said. "It's a dramatically different picture with the merger than without it." But in a statement Wednesday, Sankaran said Albertsons would "start this next chapter in strong financial condition with a track record of positive business performance." In the company's most recent quarter, Albertsons' revenue rose 1% to $18.5 billion and it reported $7.9 billion in debt. Kroger said it would also move forward in a strong financial position, with revenue down slightly to $33.6 billion in its most recent quarter. The company announced a $7.5 billion share buyback program Wednesday after a two-year pause. Kroger and Albertsons first proposed the merger in 2022. They argued that combining would help them better compete with big retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon, which are gaining an increasing share of U.S. grocery sales. Together, Kroger and Albertsons would control around 13% of the U.S. grocery market. Walmart controls around 22%. Under the merger agreement, Kroger and Albertsons — who compete in 22 states — agreed to sell 579 stores in places where their locations overlap to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based supplier to independent supermarkets that also owns the Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly store brands. But the Federal Trade Commission and two states — Washington and Colorado — sued to block the merger earlier this year, saying it would raise prices and lower workers' wages by eliminating competition. It also said the divestiture plan was inadequate and that C&S was ill-equipped to take on so many stores. On Wednesday, Albertsons said that Kroger failed to exercise "best efforts" and to take "any and all actions" to secure regulatory approval of the companies' agreed merger transaction. Albertsons said Kroger refused to divest the assets necessary for antitrust approval, ignored regulators' feedback and rejected divestiture buyers that would have been stronger than C&S. "Kroger's self-serving conduct, taken at the expense of Albertsons and the agreed transaction, has harmed Albertsons' shareholders, associates and consumers," said Tom Moriarty, Albertsons' general counsel, in a statement. Kroger said that it disagrees with Albertsons "in the strongest possible terms." It said early Wednesday that Albertsons was responsible for "repeated intentional material breaches and interference throughout the merger process." Cincinnati, Ohio, based Kroger operates 2,800 stores in 35 states, including brands like Ralphs, Smith's and Harris Teeter. Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho, operates 2,273 stores in 34 states, including brands like Safeway, Jewel Osco and Shaw's. Together, the companies employ around 710,000 people. Kroger sued the FTC in August in federal court in Ohio, claiming that the federal agency's in-house administrative hearings were unlawful because the FTC was also able to challenge the merger in federal court in Oregon. In paperwork filed Wednesday, the FTC said it expected to update the court on its next steps in that case by Dec. 17. In Colorado, which also sued to block the merger, Attorney General Phil Weiser said Tuesday that he still was awaiting a decision from a state judge. In that case, Colorado also was challenging an allegedly illegal no-poach agreement Kroger and Albertsons made during a 2022 strike. Shares of Albertsons fell 1.5% Wednesday, while Kroger's stock was up 1%.

The Arizona Cardinals were rested, relatively healthy and had been playing some of their best football in years. That’s why Sunday’s was so surprising. “Frustrating day offensively, especially the way we’ve been playing to come out here and lay an egg and get physically dominated in a sense,” quarterback Kyler Murray said. The Cardinals (6-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped. Murray completed 24 of 37 passes for 285 yards, but made a brutal mistake, throwing an interception that was returned 69 yards by Seattle’s Coby Bryant. The running game never got going, gaining just 49 yards. James Conner, the team’s leading rusher, had just 8 yards on seven attempts. “There were a lot of things where it felt like the flow of things just wasn’t in our favor,” receiver Michael Wilson said. “Some games go like that. And then we didn’t execute enough to make up for the game sort of not going our way.” Arizona’s still in decent playoff position, tied with the Seahawks on top of the NFC West with six games to play. But after all the good news and winning over the past month, Sunday’s loss was humbling. “We’re going to learn a lot from this game,” Gannon said. What’s working Arizona’s defense continued its remarkable midseason turnaround, giving the team every opportunity to win Sunday. The front seven doesn’t have any stars, but continues to cobble together a respectable pass rush. The Cardinals finished with five sacks, all by different players. Second-year cornerback Garrett Williams intercepted a pass by Geno Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter, briefly giving the Cardinals some momentum as they tried to fight back. Williams — a third-round pick out of Syracuse in 2023 — is growing into a steady starting corner that the Cardinals have missed for years. “I thought that they hung in there and battled, forced a bunch of punts, kept points off the board,” Gannon said. “I thought the interception by Garrett was fantastic, kept us in the game there, kept points off the board. We made some mistakes. We made some mistakes, starting with me.” What needs help The Cardinals aren’t going to win many games with a rushing performance like Sunday’s. Conner, held to a season low in yards rushing, did have 41 yards receiving. Rookie Trey Benson had four carries for 18 yards, while Emari Demercado broke a 14-yard gain. Getting Conner going is key. Arizona has a 5-1 record this season when he has at least 100 total yards from scrimmage. Gannon said falling into an early hole affected some of the things the Cardinals could do, particularly in the second half. “I thought there was plays there, but again, where you get down in that game, you’re not really playing normal ball there for a good chunk of the game,” Gannon said. “So we’ve got to do a better job earlier in the game to make sure we’re not playing left-handed.” Stock up Fourth-year edge rusher Zaven Collins isn’t necessarily the star fans hoped for when he was selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but he has quietly had a productive season leading the team’s no-name front seven. Collins picked up his fourth sack of the season Sunday and put consistent pressure on Smith. Stock down Murray’s still having a great season, but the quarterback’s MVP credentials took a hit with Sunday’s mediocre performance. He played pretty well at times, but the interception that turned into a pick-6 was a backbreaker. The sixth-year quarterback had largely avoided those types of plays this season, which is a big reason they’re in the playoff hunt. “Can’t give them seven points, especially when our defense is playing the way that they’re playing,” Murray said. “I feel like if I don’t do that, we’re in the game four quarters because that’s the way it was trending.” Injuries The Cardinals came out of Sunday’s game fairly healthy. Gannon said starting safety Jalen Thompson (ankle) should be back at practice Wednesday. He missed the last two games. Key numbers 12 and 133 — Tight end Trey McBride continued his breakout season with a career-high 12 catches for 133 yards. Next steps The Cardinals have another difficult road game against the Vikings (9-2) on Sunday. ___ AP NFL:By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.Alberta minister wants to see $100B in data centre infrastructure in next five years EDMONTON — Alberta's Technology Minister Nate Glubish says he's hoping to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centres under construction within the next five years. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press Dec 4, 2024 12:10 PM Dec 4, 2024 12:20 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Nate Glubish shakes hands with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith after Glubish was sworn into cabinet as Minister of Technology and Innovations in Edmonton, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. Glubish says he's hoping to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centres under construction within the next five years.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson EDMONTON — Alberta's Technology Minister Nate Glubish says he's hoping to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centres under construction within the next five years. Such centres are filled with computer servers used by companies like Meta to develop and train large-scale artificial intelligence models. Glubish says Meta, as well as other major companies including Google and Amazon, are on the hunt for space to build more facilities, and he wants Alberta to be an option. He says landing some data centres would create jobs and bring in much needed new tax revenue for the province. Glubish also says that since Alberta's electricity grid regulations allows for off-grid power generation, he thinks the province is an ideal location. He says allowing for off-grid power connections where power generators supply data centres directly also means there's less risk for Albertans, as there wouldn't be major drains on the electrical grid. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Alberta News CFIA makes second cucumber recall in less than a week in B.C., Alberta Dec 4, 2024 1:17 PM Smith noncommittal on overriding Charter as court challenge looms over trans bills Dec 4, 2024 1:10 PM 'We do need to harvest': Alberta government expands cougar hunting areas, quotas Dec 4, 2024 11:51 AM

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AusperBio Secures $73 Million in Series B Financing to Advance Functional Cure for Chronic Hepatitis BFluence Energy, Inc. Reports Record Performance in 2024 and Initiates 2025 GuidanceNext week at this time, the Winter Meetings will be full go, so the offseason here for Major League Baseball should really start ramping up after a predictably slow start. We might even get the biggest news of the offseason before the meetings start, as Juan Soto is rumored to be possibly signing his deal by the end of this week . As for everything else, let's get to it. Yanks eyeing Adames as Soto back-up plan The New York Yankees' No. 1 offseason priority is of course bringing back Juan Soto to the Bronx. But what happens if Soto instead goes to the Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, or Blue Jays? In that case, the Yankees would be looking to fortify the offense in other, albeit lesser ways. Speaking of which, here's MLB.com's Mark Feinsand : "According to sources, one of the options being considered is Willy Adames, who is drawing interest from the Yankees. Adames is the top free-agent shortstop available after posting a career year with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs in 161 games." The 29-year-old Adames has been a primary shortstop for his entire big-league career, and he's been a highly productive hitter by positional standards. Over parts of seven MLB seasons, Adames has an OPS+ of 109, and he's averaged 28 home runs and 32 doubles per 162 games played. That kind of pop from such a premium position has helped Adames put up a career WAR of 21.5. His 2024 season with the Brewers suggests he's still at the top of his game. Yankees in contact with Fried In addition to vigorously pursuing Juan Soto, the New York Yankees are also looking to fortify the rotation behind ace Gerrit Cole. On that front, Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay revealed on his radio show that the Yankees have reached out to ace lefty Max Fried, who's on the free-agent market. Kay spaketh : "The Yankees had a 90 minute Zoom call with Max Fried yesterday, and it supposedly went very well . . . somebody who's on the Fried side said that Max really really liked them and apparently they're going to have another meeting, as well." When healthy, Fried has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball on a rate basis. The 30-year-old Fried for his career boasts an ERA+ of 140 with an FIP of 3.29. Twice he's finished in the top five of the NL Cy Young balloting, most recently as runner-up in 2022. He's coming off a 2024 season for the Braves in which he pitched to a 3.25 ERA with a 2.91 K/BB ratio in 174 1/3 innings. For his efforts, Fried earned his second career All-Star selection. Two more teams in on Crochet? Nearly any contending team or those hoping to contend have shown some level of interest in White Sox All-Star starting pitcher Garrett Crochet . Add the Cubs and Reds to the list, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network . Crochet, a 25-year-old lefty, is under team control through 2026. Last season, he went 6-12 (remember, the White Sox were 41-121) with a 3.58 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 146 innings. He took a big step back in the second half and his workload was limited, but this was his first full year in an MLB rotation. He was 6-6 with a 3.02 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in the first half. The Cubs are already heavy on lefties with Justin Steele , Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd , but it couldn't hurt to grab someone with the upside of Crochet. The team is much more likely at this point to trade, given the roster, than sign a major free agent, given the front office's aversion to big-dollar risk. The Reds seem to have a full rotation with Hunter Greene , Nick Lodolo , Brady Singer , Andrew Abbott and Nick Martinez , but there are plenty of questions there and having six starters in this day and age is just good business. Astros could float trades of big pieces Between what is a robust MLB payroll and relatively barren farm system, the Astros are at a bit of a crossroads. Alex Bregman is a free agent while Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez are both one year away from hitting the market. The Astros have already been said to have discussed trading back-end reliever Ryan Pressly , but The Athletic floats a far more jarring idea. Making either Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez available in trade discussions may be the easiest path for Houston to balance its present and future. Both men are estimated to make more than $15 million in their final trip through the arbitration process. Next winter, both will demand the sort of free-agent deals Crane is loath to give. Parting with either Valdez or Tucker would not signal a rebuild, but would bring back the sort of prospect haul to help stabilize a fledgling farm system. Tucker only played in 78 games last year due to injury, but he was incredibly productive when on the field and is arguably their best position player. Valdez is their ace and just went 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA, finishing seventh in Cy Young voting. Who the Astros chose to trade from the two -- if either -- would surely be determined based upon the returns that were being offered. It's obviously just in the speculation stage, but this is a juicy one for sure. Bohm to Seattle? There's been plenty of talk about the Phillies possibly trading All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm this offseason while the Mariners seem to be perpetually looking for offense. Might there be a match? A report in the Seattle Times says the Mariners' "greatest need" this offseason is a third baseman and discusses the possible fit of Bohm in Seattle. In exchange, the Phillies were reportedly asking for either Logan Gilbert or George Kirby. Bohm, 28, hit .280/.332/.448 (117 OPS+) with 44 doubles, 15 homers, 97 RBI and 3.0 WAR last season. He's under team control for two more years before hitting free agency. A down second half and even worse playoff performance along with a roster that could absorb his loss have created a situation where it makes sense for the Phillies to deal Bohm. Perhaps the Mariners can capitalize and improve their ballclub in the process. Rangers need pitching At present, the Rangers' five-man rotation would be Jacob deGrom , Jon Gray , Cody Bradford , Tyler Mahle and Kumar Rocker with Dane Dunning as a sixth option. It could work, but if the 2023 World Series champions are trying to contend in 2025, they could sure use some more. Mahle and deGrom are recently off elbow surgeries, Bradford only worked 76 1⁄3 innings last year, Gray is pretty well established as mediocre, Dunning shouldn't be in a rotation and Rocker only got 11 2⁄3 innings under his belt last year as a rookie. Re-signing Nathan Eovaldi , who is currently a free agent, is a "professional priority" for the front office, according to the Dallas Morning News . Eovaldi, 34, spent the last two years with the Rangers. He was an All-Star in 2023 and went 24-13 with a 3.72 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP and 298 strikeouts in 314 2⁄3 innings in his two seasons. He also made plenty of big pitches in the run to the World Series title in 2023, working more than 36 innings in six starts -- the Rangers won all six. It's a natural fit, but the Rangers aren't alone in the bidding, as several teams like the Orioles , Red Sox , Cubs and Braves have also shown serious interest. Muncy open to moving around With the Dodgers rumored to be in on so many players, having someone in house like Max Muncy never hurts anything. He can play first, second or third and could also serve as a designated hitter. DH is locked up by Shohei Ohtani while Freddie Freeman has first base locked down, but Muncy could still shuttle between second and third, or even spell the other two if and when they need a break. He mostly played third last season, but with Nolan Arenado clearly available via trade, Muncy could go to second base (possibly kicking Gavin Lux to shortstop and Mookie Betts back out to right field). Pick a position, really. "As long as you put me out there, I'll play left field, right field, third, first," Muncy said on Foul Territory. "I'll play wherever they want to put me. As long as it means I'm out there on that field, wearing Dodger blue, playing in that stadium, it doesn't matter to me. When you're talking about (Arenado), you're talking about arguably the best defensive third baseman of all-time at this point, if you look at his numbers. I can see why it would be appealing. To me it doesn't matter. ... If it's becoming more of a role player, I don't care, I just want to help the team win." It remains to be seen if the Dodgers are interested in Arenado. They very likely won't bother discussing until they learn they are out of the Juan Soto sweepstakes. If they sign Soto, there's no reason to pursue Arenado. Reds looking for offense Reds general manager Nick Krall told MLB.com that the team is looking for help at the plate. "We're looking to add hitters to our club," Krall said. "Most likely it's going to be an outfielder over an infielder, but I wouldn't rule anything out just yet." Well, we could help by ruling out Juan Soto. There are other outfielder available in free agency, of course, such as Anthony Santander , Teoscar Hernández, Jurickson Profar , Joc Pederson , Tyler O'Neill and Michael Conforto , among others.

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