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Padres latest signings suggest they're out of Roki Sasaki sweepstakes

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Padres latest signings suggest they're out of Roki Sasaki sweepstakes


Adding top-level international talent is never a bad thing, even if it likely means you’re not going to be signing the biggest fish in the pool.

According to multiple reports the Padres have agreed to 7-figure deals with a pair of Dominican teenagers, shortstop Jhoan De La Cruz and left-handed pitcher Carlos Alvarez. Both players are highly-regarded prospects and ranked in the Top-40 by most talent evaluators, adding depth to a minor league system that could use some more high-end talent.

However, if we read the tea leaves it’s not hard to guess those moves mean the Padres believe they are no longer in the running for Roki Sasaki.

The 23-year-old Japanese pitching phenom has reportedly narrowed his choices to the Dodgers and Blue Jays, ending a weeks-long pursuit for San Diego.

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From a baseball perspective, the importance of this decision cannot be overstated. The Padres entire offseason was centered on signing Sasaki. If they landed the superstar in the making, it would give them the weapon they need to continue challenging the Dodgers’ dominance. Losing out on him is a bummer but if he chooses to go to L.A. it would be a devastating setback and likely cement L.A.’s status as World Series favorites for the next half-decade.

Sasaki features a 100-MPH fastball and one of the best split-finger pitches you’ll see anywhere in the world. He threw a perfect game with 19 strikeouts as a 20-year-old and put his devastating arsenal on display in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, helping Samurai Japan win the title.

Aside from the obvious physical traits, what makes Sasaki so valuable is he’s infinitely affordable. Since he hasn’t celebrated his 25th birthday, Sasaki is considered an amateur instead of a full-blown free agent so he’s subject to rules on international signing pools.

A talent like this at that price point is almost unheard of. The last time we saw anything like it was in 2017 when Shohei Ohtani was a 23-year-old game-changer making his way to Major League Baseball. It was widely expected that Sasaki would receive all of a team’s international pool money.

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Now that the Padres are committing half of theirs to other players, they have apparently moved on, and there is still a whole lot of work to be done this offseason.

They need to add at least one more starting pitcher to a rotation that features Yu Darvish, Michael King, and Dylan Cease, who has been the subject of trade rumors but now almost certainly has to stick around for one more year. San Diego also needs to add a catcher and at least one outfielder.

It’s depressing to lose out on a top-flight talent like Sasaki. But, the business of baseball must go on.



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San Diego, CA

NASCAR makes history with inaugural Naval Base Coronado race

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NASCAR makes history with inaugural Naval Base Coronado race


CORONADO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Final preparations are underway for NASCAR’s historic race weekend at Naval Base Coronado, where stock cars will compete on an active military installation for the first time in the sport’s history.

Crews, race teams, military personnel, first responders and event staff spent Thursday putting the finishing touches on the temporary road course as thousands of fans prepare to descend on the base for the inaugural event.

“The countdown is on,” as organizers work to transform portions of the installation into a race venue unlike any NASCAR has hosted before.

“It’s a very proud moment for NASCAR and myself and my company for being part of it,” said Jordan Litchko, a NASCAR production partner with ignition production. “It’s the America 250, so what a year to celebrate and be here on the naval base.”

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Officials say the event marks the first time a NASCAR national series race has been held on a military base, bringing one of America’s most recognizable motorsports directly onto a working military installation.

Unlike traditional oval tracks, competitors will tackle a temporary road course built specifically for the event.

“It’s a road course race, which adds way more excitement, so it’s going to be ultra challenging,” Litchko said.

Thursday’s preparations included long lines of team members, vendors, staff and emergency personnel picking up credentials and completing security and base access requirements ahead of race weekend.

Meanwhile, drivers and crews got their first close look at the unique layout, which winds through portions of the base and presents a challenge far different from a conventional speedway.

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With large crowds expected throughout the weekend, organizers are encouraging fans to plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Traffic delays are anticipated around Naval Base Coronado and nearby access points as spectators arrive for the event.

After months of planning and construction, the wait is nearly over.

On Friday, engines will roar to life aboard Naval Base Coronado, marking a milestone moment for NASCAR and creating a new chapter in the sport’s history. By the weekend’s end, fans will witness a race unlike any ever held before — stock cars competing on a military base in the heart of San Diego.



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San Diego begins installing parking meters in San Ysidro business district

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San Diego begins installing parking meters in San Ysidro business district


SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The City of San Diego is beginning to install 286 metered parking spaces this week in downtown San Ysidro in an effort to increase parking turnover, it was announced Thursday.

To develop the plan, city leaders worked with the San Ysidro business community. Revenue collected from the meters is reserved for transportation, parking and safety improvements in San Ysidro.

“Feeding parking meters feeds neighborhood repairs, and we can’t wait to get to work for the San Ysidro community,” said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city’s Transportation Department. “This new parking zone will bring long overdue change that will help support local business activity and generate revenue that will be reinvested directly into improving neighborhood quality of life in San Ysidro.”

Crews began preparing the bases for the meters last week and installation work is expected to last through June. According to the city, these will be multi-space meter kiosks and drivers should be aware that they will need to go to the nearest kiosk to pay for parking since there won’t be a meter at each space.

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Metered parking goes into effect on July 1 and will be enforced 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. The parking rate is $2.50 an hour, with a maximum time limit of four hours.

City-led parking studies determined vehicles were parking on the streets of the neighborhood for hours or days at a time, making street parking for the area’s businesses scarce.

Drivers who customarily use free street parking when traveling across the border to Mexico are encouraged to use “one of the many paid off-street parking lots in the area,” a city statement read.

“The findings [of the parking study] clearly demonstrate the need for action. High parking occupancy on unregulated segments, along with data showing that 37% of vehicles exceed the existing two-hour limit and an average parking duration of over five hours, indicate that current conditions reduce turnover and limit access for local businesses and visitors,” wrote Alfredo Ripa, president of the San Ysidro Community Economic Development Corporation. “The proposed introduction of approximately 286 metered spaces, along with better signage, clearer designations and continued enforcement, represents a thoughtful and data-driven approach to improving parking availability and supporting economic activity in the community.”

Areas where the meter kiosks will be installed include:

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— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Border Village Road to Camino De La Plaza (both sides);

— Border Village Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard (north) to East San Ysidro Boulevard (south), (both sides);

— Front Street between Border Village Road to end of cul-de-sac (south side);

— Bolton Hall Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (south side);

— Louisiana Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to end of cul-de- sac (south side);

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— Virginia Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (both sides); and

— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Willow Road and East Park Avenue (south side).





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San Diego County Sheriff’s Office seeks information on missing Poway man

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San Diego County Sheriff’s Office seeks information on missing Poway man


POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is asking for any information regarding the whereabouts of a missing Poway man.

59-year-old William Clayton Miller was reported missing by his sister, who last saw him on March 2, 2026.

Miller’s car was later found at the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve in the City of Poway, where it sat for several weeks, according to authorities.

On Saturday, June 13, around 80 Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers and detectives from the Major Crimes Division conducted a search of the Lake Poway area and found nothing of significance.

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This is the second coordinated search by the Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue teams.

Miller is described as a white male adult, 6 feet 0 inches tall, 210 pounds, bald, of medium build, with brown eyes and white hair.

Miller has been categorized as a voluntary missing adult and is not known to have any life-threatening medical conditions, nor does he require life- sustaining medications.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of William Clayton Miller is urged to contact the Major Crimes Division at 858‑285‑6330.





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