I don’t know the extent to which the Chicago Cubs are going to want to go so in on 2025 as to justify a second huge trade for one year of a player, but I think it’s worth noting that the San Diego Padres have reportedly discussed not only Dylan Cease in trade talks (mentioned before), but also Michael King. Both pitchers are 29, both pitchers were outstanding in 2024, and both pitchers are in their final year of team control before free agency.

From Ken Rosenthal:

“One reason the open market remains clogged is that teams continue to discuss trades. The Seattle Mariners’ Luis Castillo and San Diego Padres’ Dylan Cease and Michael King, for example, are among the starting pitchers who remain in play (King asked for $8.8 million in arbitration and the Padres offered $7.325 million; a hearing appears likely).”

Even at $8.8 million, King would be making $5 million less than Cease in 2025, and could easily fit in the Cubs’ budget. I’m not saying you’d want to see the Cubs choose King over Cease because of the relatively small difference in 2025 salary, I’m just pointing out that there is indeed a difference that may matter to the Cubs.

We know that, even after signing Matthew Boyd, the Cubs were in on a Jesus Luzardo trade, presumably seeking to get a little more upside for the middle of the rotation. The team has since added pretty significantly in the bullpen and then in the swing area with Colin Rea, but they haven’t added a sure-fire mid-rotation type. So, then, you could at least make the argument: if the Cubs were in on Luzardo, why wouldn’t they be in on King?

A former top Yankees reliever, King was sent to the Padres as part of last year’s Juan Soto trade, and converted to the rotation. He rewarded the Padres with a 2.95 ERA over 173.2 IP (33 starts). His 3.33 FIP was nearly as good when adjusting for context and comparing to league average (the ERA was 25% better than league average by ERA-, and the FIP was 17% better by FIP-). That is to say, even if you weren’t crediting him with skill in limiting hard contact (and you should, because he just didn’t get hit hard at all last year), he probably just about earned his results. The guy was very, very good in his first full big league season as a starting pitcher, and he projects quite well in 2025.

That said, you’d be getting King – like Kyle Tucker – for only a single year. We can hypothesize about extensions and all that, but ultimately, you’re getting one cheap-ish year of a probably-very-good starting pitcher. And the price tag, while not Tucker level, would be pretty darn steep in trade. Basically every team in baseball would be able to fit this guy into their budget and rotation. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cubs wanted him; it wouldn’t surprise me if 10 other clubs have seriously engaged.

The Padres, needing to ditch some salary and simultaneously fill a number of holes, would probably be trying to pull off a trick similar to the one the Astros did with Tucker. You don’t WANT to trade the guy; but may you can make yourself better in the long-term for having done so, and not hurt yourself TOO badly in the short-term.

It was after midnight on June 19, 1968, when U.S. Navy Lt. Clyde Lassen and his helicopter crew flew into the jungle of North Vietnam to rescue two Navy aviators whose fighter jet had been shot down.

Taking on enemy fire in the predawn darkness and wary of the thick vegetation, Lassen attempted several difficult maneuvers to rescue the stranded pilots, at one point striking a tree and losing a door, but managing to keep his UH-2A Seasprite airborne. After several attempts, Lassen brought the aircraft to a low hover, his crew retrieved the men on the ground and Lassen piloted the group back to a waiting ship, landing with less than five minutes worth of fuel in the tank.

For his bravery, Lassen was awarded the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s highest decoration, by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1969.

Lassen, who retired from the Navy as a commander and died in 1994, was honored Sunday afternoon by the Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society with a plaque at the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial. The ceremony concluded with a flyover by three helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75 out of Naval Air Station North Island.

The Mount Soledad ceremony wrapped up a weekend of events honoring Lassen. On Saturday, Naval Base Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island held a dedication ceremony for a new helicopter memorial that now sits outside the main gate of the base. The monument, a full-size formerly operable helicopter, is known as the CDR Clyde E. Lassen, USN (Ret.) Medal of Honor SH-60F Oceanhawk Memorial Display.

Lassen is one of only 3,526 Medal of Honor recipients, and one of just three Navy pilots to receive the decoration during the Vietnam War. He is the 32nd Medal of Honor recipient with a plaque on Mount Soledad, where the privately owned memorial currently features more than 6,600 plaques made from the same black granite as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Neil O’Connell, the executive director of the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, said there is no particular wall dedicated to admirals or generals or other high-ranking leaders.

“If you look on these walls, it’s a mosaic of our society,” O’Connell said. “Every era of conflict and history and sacrifice is represented at this beautiful memorial.”

Retired Navy Capt. Sandy Clark told the gathered crowd that Lassen was a humble, modest man who was a 26-year-old lieutenant when he piloted the rescue flight that early morning in Vietnam. He praised Lassen and his crew, who were awaken in the middle of the night and believed initially they were being sent on a training mission, only to end up instead conducting the harrowing rescue.

“Nothing ever good happens in Naval aviation without the help of a lot of people,” Clark said. “Clyde didn’t fly there by himself, he had a whole crew there… Clyde was brave, but it took the whole team to make it work properly.”

Clark praised Lassen and his crew for never quitting.

“There were ample opportunities to abandon the rescue,” Clark said. “They were low on fuel, they were being shot at, the aircraft was severely damaged, but he was focused enough to be able to pick those guys up and save them from certain death.”

The Navy named a guided missile destroyer after Lassen. The ship was commissioned in 2001 and was originally homeported in San Diego but is now stationed in Lassen’s home state of Florida. In addition to the helicopter memorial bearing Lassen’s name now situated outside Naval Base Coronado, there are buildings named after Lassen on Navy bases in Florida and Tennessee. There is also a veterans’ nursing home that bears his name in Florida.

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 26, 2025) – San Diego Wave FC today announced that it has agreed to a world-record transfer fee with Chelsea FC of the Women’s Super League (WSL) for U.S. Women’s National Team defender Naomi Girma. The transfer fee sets a new world record for women’s soccer, as well as new records for San Diego Wave FC and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). 

“Naomi has been an integral part of the Club since the day she was drafted in the inaugural season, and her impact on and off the field has been immeasurable,” said Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton. “While it’s difficult to part ways with a player of Naomi’s caliber, we are incredibly proud of all she has achieved during her time with us. She has set a high standard here, and we wish her nothing but success as she continues her career overseas. Our focus has been and will continue to be building a team to compete for championships.” 

Since being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, Girma has emerged as one of the world’s best defenders. In her rookie season, Girma made 27 appearances (27 starts) while playing every single minute for all matches she was available for the Wave. She registered 176 recoveries and led all league defenders in possession while earning 2022 NWSL Rookie and Defender of the Year honors, becoming the first in league history to secure two individual awards in a rookie season.

“San Diego Wave has been such an important part of my journey,” said Girma. “I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow here and for the incredible relationships I’ve built with my teammates, the sporting staff, and our amazing fans. I’m especially grateful to ownership and Cami for supporting my dream of playing in Europe. San Diego will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.”

During the 2023 season, Girma appeared in 22 matches (20 starts) across all competitions, helping the Club secure the NWSL Shield as the league’s top regular-season team. Her performance earned her the NWSL Defender of the Year award for the second consecutive season, making her the first player in league history to win the honor twice in her first two years. Girma was also named to the NWSL Best XI First Team for the second straight season, while completing 948 passes with an 88.68% accuracy rate, ranking among the top five in the league in both categories. 

Last season, Girma made 21 appearances (21 starts) for the Club, while earning a league-high 91.4% passing accuracy. She was named to the NWSL Best XI Second Team.  

At the international level, Girma has been a key member of the USWNT since making her debut in April 2022. She has earned 44 caps and scored two goals for the United States. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Girma played every minute of the tournament and anchored the defense that conceded just two goals across six matches to secure the gold medal. 

Transaction: San Diego Wave FC agrees to a world record transfer fee with Chelsea FC for defender Naomi Girma.