The Los Angeles Dodgers met with four-time all-star Juan Soto this week but unless the market changes the defending World Series champs may have a tough time signing the coveted free agent, KTLA’s David “Ping” Pingalore reports.

“I can confirm through sources that @juansoto25_ did meet with Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes in Orange County today,” Ping posted on his Instagram account Tuesday.

Soto is the most sought-after slugger in the free agent market with other big-payroll teams like the New York Yankees (Soto’s most recent club) and the New York Mets expected to engage in a bidding war to land the outfielder who cracked 41 homers and knocked in 109 RBI while recording a .288 batting average in 2024.

The Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are also expected to take a shot at Soto but Ping says Los Angeles may be hampered by a hesitancy to offer a long-term deal.

“According to sources if the market weakens the @dodgers interest would only be a 1-2 year deal as Soto seeks a long-term deal for 600m,” Ping posted.

The Dodgers are very familiar with what Soto can offer a team’s offense after facing him as a member of the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres in the National League. 

Soto also played well in the World Series against the Dodgers. Despite the Yankees losing in five games Soto batted .313 and hit a home run in Game 2.

A security guard was arrested in connection with a man found stabbed to death in a Santa Monica alleyway.

The suspect was identified as Sebastian Emil Gaston, 36, the Santa Monica Police Department confirmed on Nov. 19.

On Sept. 6, police responded to reports of a person on the ground in the 1100 Block of Alley 6.

Arriving officers found the victim with a fatal stab wound to his upper chest. He was only identified as a homeless man in his 30s.

The suspect had fled the scene before authorities arrived. After gathering surveillance footage and witness statements, detectives identified Gaston as the suspect.

They also discovered that Gaston was a security guard who worked at the building adjacent to where the deadly stabbing occurred.

On Nov. 7, Gaston was taken into custody. During his interrogation, police said he admitted to the deadly stabbing as well as a previous assault that happened in July.

Details on the motive behind the murder or whether the victim and the suspect knew each other were not released.

Gaston remains in the custody of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department pending trial.

Anyone with information about the deadly incident is encouraged to contact Detective Kayondo at lawrence.kayondo@santamonica.gov or Sergeant Lozano at alfonso.lozano@santamonica.gov.

The public can also call the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.

A South Pasadena woman whose body discovered by her grandchildren in June had been fatally stabbed by another of her grandkids, police said.

Susan Miller, 75, was stabbed to death on June 4 in the 800 block of Brent Avenue, and it was her adult grandchildren who found her while conducting a wellness check, authorities said.

On Wednesday, however, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced that Miller’s grandson, Birkamjot Padda, is one of two men charged with first-degree murder and burglary in her death, the other being Josh Atkins.

Padda and Atkins did not appear in a search of jail records, and officials did not provide their ages, custody statuses or future court dates.