==============

“NAMES IN THE NEWS”
==============

PADRES…Pitchers and catchers report next weekend.  They don’t have a LF-CF- and uncertainty at DH-1B.  They have 7-starters with rotation experience, led by Yu Darvish-Joe Musgrove.  The 3-Yankees pitchers who came in the Juan Soto trade, led by Michael King, will likely fill out slots 3-4-5.  The Friars have 9-relievers with experience, and might be the most depth anyone in baseball has.  We all away to see how Yuki Matsui and Woo Suk-Go make this transition as a setup men or a key closer.  Worry about lack of starting depth if injuries show up this year in that rotation.  AJ Preller has less than (18M) left in his budget.

DODGERS..Fan Fest was fun for the fans and there were lots of mixed messages.  Yes, Shohei Ohtani is hitting live pitching and will be ready to DH opening day.  No, Walker Beuhler will not be ready opening day, maybe starting on the 15-day DL list or at least in extended spring training.  Dustin May won’t be ready till July.  Clayton Kershaw might be back in August. Tony Gonsolin won’t pitch this year.  Big money free agent James Paxton has two track records, a very good pitcher in Boston and Seattle, but an oft-injured pitcher too who has had lots of health problems the last two years.

ANGELS..They had all the money they gave Ohtani come off the books.  They have signed a bunch of fringe free agents (12) this off season, none difference makers.  They have talked to Blake Snell.  Maybe there is a (5Y-150M) offer coming.  They should not give Scott Boras what he wants (7Y-120M).  Getting Snell sends a sign Arte Moreno wants to win.  If he makes no further deals, then this shapes up as a sad baseball season and his image gets further stained.

CHARGERS…The Spanos’ can stop celebrating now about the Jim Harbaugh hiring, now the business of football begins.  A bit surprised they would consider hiring Greg Roman as offensive coordinator.  He worked with Harbaugh in San Francisco and then with the other Harbaugh in Baltimore.  Had great success building read option offenses around Colin Kaperneck and Lamar Jackson.  But those are read option guys, pass and run alot.  I don’t want to see Justin Herbert running all over the field.  He is a great pro set pocket passer.  Why consider a change in offense that puts him at risk?

RAMS..Some coaching job by Sean McVay and now an off season to add more to the roster with draft picks and finally cap space.  But teams are raiding his coaching staff.  Surprise to me, he did not bring Brandon Staley back as defensive coordinator after Raheem Morris left for the Falcons head coaching job.

LAKERS..LeBron James calls his team Jekyll-Hyde.  Some horrid performances last week, then the surprising wins in Boston (22-2) at home, and then snapping the Knicks 9-game win streak at the Garden.  The trade deadline comes up Thursday.  Do they go get another shooting guard?  Do they put D’Angelo Russell in a deal?  Do they keep Austin Reaves?  Is the chemistry, right or wrong?

CLIPPERS…Strong team, surprising team, with chemistry that works, at least so far, Kawhi-Paul George-James Harden.  Can this continue?

UCLA..Chip Kelly wants out?  You have to be kidding me.  After this school swallowed a ton of red ink, building this financial deficit, giving him everything he wanted, and he is interviewing for NFL offensive coordinators jobs?  And he has lost 4-assistants off his staff too.  Does Kelly care about UCLA or just himself?  A mess right now, worse if he goes back to the NFL.

USC..Big spring football time coming for Trojans.  New assistant coaches.  New offense.  New QB derby.  Lots of transfers into Linc Riley’s program.

UCLA..Mick Cronin’s January meltdown about his Euro players, replaced by a team finding itself in February.  Weird basketball season.

USC..Andy Enfield’s team not where we thought it would be.  A couple of good years, replaced by sub .500-teams even with Bronny James and DJ Rodman on board.

AZTECS..Some statement win by SDSU in that battering of Utah State.  Big night from the forwards off the bench.  The guards had good games.  And the defense was vintage.  But that was one game, and surely was not what we saw in 3-back to back to back road losses in the conference.  Maybe they turned the corner whipping a (19-2) Aggies team.  Of course, they still have to go to Logan, Utah in a couple of weeks and have to play at Nevada.

AZTECS…Next month, so very busy and so important for new coach Sean Lewis as they install all new players and the Aztecs Air system.  Spring football will be worth watching.

USD..What a season for Steve Lavin.  Coming off last year’s solid season with a ton of 1-year transfers, he faced massive challenges with a younger-newer roster.  And now he has 12-wins already this season in a tough WCC.   Job well done in tough circumstances

KINGS..You cannot fire the players, so you fire coach Todd McLelland.  This was more than about coaching.  This is about underachievement from 8M players Pierre Luc Dubois and Kevin Fialla.  This is about injured and overwhelmed goaltending.  It’s about bold moves by Rob Blake that worked out well in a (20-4-7) start that led to a (3-16) losing stretch.  This is now a disappointment.

DUCKS..The long rebuild is painful.  The injury siege to Trevor Zegras is worrisome.  The trade of injured Jamie Drysdale was a surprise.  More deals may come in the next couple of weeks involving veteran players with high cap figures.  Have yet to turn the corner talent wise.

GULLS..Young players learning on the job.  AHL veterans who have not made a difference.  Dug such a hole early in the season, trying to get to the playoffs still a challenge.

Candid comments about teams we pay attention to.  Enjoy your Monday.

=========================

Please follow and like us: