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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — New San Diego manager Mike Shildt has texted with outfielder Juan Soto and plans to meet with the Padres superstar later this month.

Shildt said Tuesday at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings that he’s been trying to get down to Florida to visit Soto, the slugger the Padres acquired from Washington via trade in August 2022. Shildt said he’s seen a lot of Padres players since taking the job and had dinner with some while they were in San Diego.

“I’m going to see Juan in Miami,” Shildt said. “On the 17th is what we have scheduled. I assume this is public information. Then I’m going to go see Tati (Fernando Tatis Jr.) on the 18th and 19th and bounce over to Aruba and see Bogey (Xander Bogaerts) after that.”

Soto is eligible for arbitration again this winter. He earned $23 million last season and is projected to make about $33 million next year before becoming a free agent after the 2025 World Series.

With the 25-year-old left fielder from the Dominican Republic represented by agent Scott Boras, the Padres might wind up trading Soto for financial reasons even if they’d like to keep him. The three-time All-Star just played in all 162 games of a season for the first time and had 35 home runs, 109 RBIs and 132 walks.

Among other potential suitors, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was asked about Soto at the winter meetings on Tuesday and heaped praise on him.

“I mean, he’s a transformational bat,” Cashman said. “He’s one of the best hitters in the game. He’s impact, period. But currently, he’s an impact for somebody else.”

Soto was a key piece of Washington’s championship team in 2019 and turned 21 during that World Series. He won the NL batting title in 2020, and led the league in on-base percentage in 2020 and 2021 en route to earning Silver Slugger awards after both seasons. He finished second in NL MVP voting in 2021.

The Padres went 82-80 last season and finished 18 games back of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

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USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

LOS ANGELES — No. 20 USC pulled off a remarkable fake punt against Northwestern in Friday night’s 38-17 win by sending out third-string quarterback Sam Huard in the same uniform number as the Trojans’ punter.

Wearing a No. 80 jersey, Huard came on the field with the punt team in the second quarter and completed a 10-yard pass to Tanook Hines. The first down extended the Trojans’ second drive, which ended with a TD run by Jayden Maiava.

This bit of trickery was quite legal, apparently: Huard wore No. 7 earlier this season for the Trojans, but he is listed as No. 80 on the USC roster for this week after Lincoln Riley’s team quietly made the change.

USC punter Sam Johnson also wears No. 80. College football teams frequently feature two players wearing the same number.

Huard, who is a couple of inches shorter than the 6-foot-3 Johnson, grinned widely as he high-fived teammates on the way off the field. He is a former five-star recruit who began his college career at Washington.

Bowling Green pulled off a similar stunt in last season’s 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Third-string Falcons quarterback Baron May switched his uniform number before the game from 8 to 18 — very similar to punter John Henderson‘s No. 19 jersey.

Late in the first quarter, May came on the field instead of Henderson and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr. — although Arkansas State overcame it for a 38-31 victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Missouri’s Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

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Missouri's Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

No. 22 Missouri will be without star tight end Brett Norfleet (shoulder) when the Tigers host undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday in Columbia.

Norfleet, a junior from O’Fallon, Missouri, has started in each of the Tigers’ eight games this fall and enters Week 11 leading all SEC tight ends with five touchdown receptions. His 26 catches on the season rank third-most among Missouri pass catchers, trailing only wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Marquis Johnson.

Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters that Norflett sustained a separated shoulder in Missouri’s 17-10 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. Drinkwitz later described Norfleet as “day-to-day” during the Tigers’ bye in Week 10, and the veteran tight end was listed as questionable in Missouri’s student-athlete availability report Thursday night.

Norfleet’s absence comes with Drinkwitz and the two-loss Tigers essentially facing a playoff elimination game against the Aggies on Saturday. Missouri will also be without starting quarterback Beau Pribula in Week 11 after the Penn State transfer dislocated his ankle at Vanderbilt. Freshman Matt Zollers, ESPN’s No. 6 pocket passer in the 2025 class, is set to make his first career start Saturday, facing Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and an Aggies defense that ranks 18th nationally in defensive pressures (137), per ESPN Research.

“For our team, it’s really about us focusing on helping Matt execute at the highest level possible,” Drinkwitz said this week. “We’re excited about Matt’s opportunity and what he’s earned. He has done a really good job in practice of leadership, stepping up, embracing the moment, embracing the opportunity.”

Missouri (6-2) kicks off against Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Sources: Kansas State RB Edwards leaves team

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Sources: Kansas State RB Edwards leaves team

Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards has left the Wildcats and is expected to enter the transfer portal, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Edwards has been hampered by injuries this season and has played in just four games. He has only 34 carries for 205 yards.

In 2024, Edwards finished with 546 rushing yards while averaging 7.4 yards per carry with seven total touchdowns.

He began his career in 2023 at Colorado before transferring to K-State.

The Wildcats (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) are off this weekend.

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