July 28, 2025

We are rapidly approaching the MLB Trade Deadline, and the Dodgers have some decisions to make by Thursday. Coming into Sunday, they were just half a game back of the Cubs for the best record in the NL, but they could use about 3 bullpen arms. Judging by how Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates have worked out so far this season, I doubt that Andrew Friedman is going to overpay for anybody though. I don’t see the Dodgers spending resources on a starting pitcher with their rotation getting healthier, or anything more than utility infield and outfield depth. However, I think a middle reliever like an Anthony Banda type is what they will probably come up with. I wouldn’t even mind Kenley Jansen or Taylor Ward, but if the price is too high, forget it. The Boys in Blue really need the top of the order to start hitting again down the stretch, especially Mookie Betts. I still think most of this teams issues are internal and can be fixed by moving Mookie back into the out field, sending Michael Conforto to an overseas prison, and putting Hyesong Kim and Tommy Edman in the middle of their infield. At some point, they need to stop being stubborn. They know what the solution is. It’s also not trading Dustin May. He is a year away from being an elite starter again, and is still an innings eater and insurance policy. Keep him!

As for the Angels, they gave you some hope a month ago, but forget that. They are now 5.5 games out of the wild card with 7 teams to jump over just to get to the playoffs. You can forget the division, where they are 10 games back. This team needs to be sellers this week. Knowing Perry Minasian though, they won’t be serious sellers. They might sell off a pending free agent or two, but the return won’t be anything great. Taylor Ward is trying to play his way into staying in Anaheim because Arte Moreno is a sucker who sees a 31 yea old with a .231 avg 24 hr 77 RBI and wants to keep him to “sell tickets”.

To the NBA, where the Lakers have actually had a productive couple of weeks. They signed Marcus Smart to a deal after getting bought out by the Wizards, and now it sounds like they are on the verge of coming to terms with Luke Doncic on a 4-year $229 million extension. If you’re keeping score at home for all you Rob Pelinka haters, they got younger and more athletic at wing with Jake Laravia, signed a quality starting center in DeAndre Ayton, and now added an excellent POA defender. All this and now securing the next face of the franchise for the next half decade. The Lakers are definitely better than last year. Sure a lot of teams got better, but they were already the 3 seed last year and were improving each game. The West will have a lot of competition, but the Lakers should be in the mix. Maybe not an inner circle favorite, but they will be a good team. As for the Jeanie Buss ownership story, lots of talk about how she had decision making power for the next 5 yea rs. That may be true, but you can be sure she will have more opinions and influence around her during that time. Mark Walter didn’t buy the team to sit back and wait 5 years to run it like a mom and pop shop. Did you notice I didn’t even mention anything about LeBron? That’s because most of you are gullibale enough to believe the NBA “journalism” out there thinking he’s leaving the Lakers. My bold prediction is he’s announcing this is his last season before the start of training camp.

Then there’s the Clippers who have signed Bradley Beal and Chris Paul to contracts. Here we go again. Another off-season of “The Clippers are an NBA Finals Contender!” They are? Maybe if this were 2014 they would be. The Clippers added three players to their lineup this offseason that make them much older. Are they better? Bradley Beal hasn’t made any team he’s played on better in over 5 years. Chris Paul is 40, and while it’s great he is back close to his family, he won’t play every night. The Concept of the Clippers has always revolved around Kawhi Leonard’s health. He was healthy last year and they were a 1st round exit. They are also a year older, so now he has to stay healthy again, and the rest of the team continues to age. The Clippers are a good team, but those that want to call them championship contenders are as foolish as the people buying into the LeBron clickbait.

We’ve seen a pretty disastrous off-season for the LA Kings, as I’ve mentioned on Jock Talk LA several times. Even people inside the organization will privately admit that. However, what they can’t do is let a disaster spiral further out of control than where it is now. They need to sign Adrian Kemp to an extension by the start of training camp. Kemp is their leading goal scorer, best player, and currently slated to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He is due for a sizeable raise, but also one the Kings can afford. The Kings have shown they aren’t a free agent destination for NHL stars. That means they have to do it by retaining their own drafted talent, and making trades. Kempe is one of the few in the last decade they have drafted and developed right, so don’t screw this one up too Ken Holland and Luc Robitaille!

We are on the verge of college and pro football starting up again. That means the Trojans are right around the corner from being back in action. I expect that USC will fall somewhere between #15-#20 in the preseason polls. Can they really challenge for a playoff spot this year? I’m skeptical they can given where recruiting has been lately. The probably won’t change until 2026, when an elite recruiting class is expected to arrive. Lately it’s been status quo, and I don’t think the NIL landscape has improved their chances much since Caleb Williams left for the NFL. What’s going on with Lincoln Riley is fascinating though. Paul Finebaum can’t stop talking about what a disaster his recruiting is, and how fraudulent his performance has been since going to USC. This is probably a bit of an exaggeration, because if anything, USC is struggling with a tougher conference in The Big Ten and tougher travel. However, their schedule is the lightest it’s been i n years. They don’t play Ohio State or Penn State. They get Michigan at home, and Oregon on he road, along with Notre Dame. That’s lighter but still a credible enough path where if USC makes the CFP, it should be considered a success.

On the other hand with UCLA, despite being fortunate enough to have Nico Iamaleava as their QB, if they finish with a winning record it should be considered a success. Remember, Chip Kelley left the Bruins a complete mess, so DeShaun Foster has to clean that up while moving conferences. That’s not easy. On the bright side though, UCLA has a lot to look forward to come basketball season. Not bad for an athletic program whose finances are about as bad as Enron.

In the NFL, the Rams got their training camp underway at UC Irvine last week. There are already a few concerns though. Matt Stafford has been sitting out early with back problems. It concerns me that Stafford hasn’t even done anything yet from a workout standpoint and he already is struggling like I do after a Saturday afternoon nap on the couch. He needs practice time to build chemistry with his receivers, including Devante Adams. Sure Jimmy G is a capable backup, but the Rams need Stafford to be the elite team they envisioned. Given Sean McVay’s vagueness around injuries in general historically, I’m also extra concerned and something to keep an eye on.

On a more sad note, my heart goes out to the family of Hulk Hogan, who passed away over the weekend. Hogan was an all-American legend who entertained us for years with the WWF, and was really considered the face of what was once highly regarded American Entertainment. WWF had better ratings than Saturday Night Live in the 80’s thanks to Hogan. Of course in this day and age there are always going to be people that focus on the negative, but remember, people are simply a product of their time. Hogan should be remembered as a celebrity entertainer, who gave us the escape we needed from the real world. He also paved the way for stars like “The Rock” to be what he is today. For that he should be celebrated, and that’s the legacy he really leaves behind.

July 14, 2025

Welcome to the portion of the sports calendar where there is no news, so everyone just recklessly speculates and it’s considered “news”. That’s exactly what’s happening with Lebron James. Lebron opted into his contract weeks ago, and Rich Paul made the type statement that he basically makes every year that Lebron plays, that he wants to compete for titles to put pressure on the front office. As I told you weeks ago, Lebron isn’t going anywhere, so stop speculating that he will. Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne, who are fine professionals but lack real sources, wrote a piece that had no sources in it, and was nothing but pure speculation. Everyone ate it up and they got all the clicks they wanted. Except if you’ve followed the NBA for a while, you know the difference between real reporting and opinions. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t. The article stated that James was upset that they traded Anthony Davis and he wasn’t given significant notice. Ramona and Windy must think we are stupid to believe he and Rich Paul had no idea whatsoever it was coming. The article says Luka was notified of the sale of the franchise and Lebron wasn’t, but that’s a lie and he was told. The article says the Lakers were treating Lebron as an expiring contract because they didn’t offer him an extension. Did he ask for an extension? No he did not. This is all manufactured journalism to get you talking about ‘Bron. I also love the folks like Scoop B, who are reporting two week old news that 4 teams contacted Rich Paul about trading for Lebron. One thing is for sure though, Lebron and Rich Paul could control this narrative if they want, but they won’t because that’s how they feel puts pressure on the front office to perform. That’s all fine and dandy if they want to do that, but in reality, it won’t change a damn thing. The Lakers are going to compete with Lebron on the team and without him on the team.

As for the rest of the Lakers roster, things have really quieted down with regard to rumors. The Lakers need help on their bench, and specifically when it comes to defensive wings. Andrew Wiggins sounded nice, but not at the cost of Rui, Dalton, and a 1st round pick. If anything the Heat should be throwing in draft capital because he’s a salary dump. Since Wiggins is reportedly not being traded this off-season, that leaves the Lakers hoping for a buyout of someone like Marcus Smart, trading for Matisse Thybulle, or signing a guy like De’Anthony Melton. Sure someone like Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard sounds sexy, but it’s not really what they need. The hold up is they need to waive someone on their roster to be able to sign just one player, or would need to make a trade. The team is better with DeAndre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, but there’s still a little work to do, so stay tuned, and stop telling me Rob Pelinka isn’t doing anything. Separately, I have heard some suggestion that the Lakers (and other teams) are trying to keep their cap sheet clean for 2027 free agency. This move makes little sense to me because all the free agents from Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, and Giannis will be 34 or older. They are likely to re-sign or get traded and re-signed before they hit the market. A better move would be trying to compete now with a top 5 talent like Luka Doncic, a still all-NBA player in Lebron, and a cheap but rising star with Austin Reaves.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have made all these moves and now have a couple of roster spots to fill. The speculation was that they were going to sign both Chris Paul and Bradley Beal to veteran minimum deals, but it’s been a week and nothing has happened on either front. Beal still hasn’t been bought out yet, and who knows why CP3 has not signed yet. He wants to be in SoCal, and this is his best opportunity. If he wants to start, he’s going to be out of luck because nobody will give him that opportunity at this stage if they are serious about winning. Let’s say these two moves come to fruition, they could help, but the Clips should be a bit concerned with age. Paul is 40, Brooke Lopez is 37, James Harden is 35, Kawhi and old 34, and Beal would be an old 32. It remains to be seen just how the Clippers roster shakes out between now and training camp.

To baseball, where the Dodgers have hit the all-star break! After Friday night, it felt like this team might never win again, but they came up with two big wins against the Giants to close the 1st half. They hit the break at 58-39, a 5.5 game lead in the NL West, and the best record in the NL. They are also just one game behind the Tigers for the best record in baseball. With all that being said, they have some things to fix. I wouldn’t panic over the 7-game slide. They looked a little disinterested before the all-star break in years past, so the streak itself isn’t concerning. However, they have some star players they need to get more productivity out of in the second half. Those are Mookie Betts, Tesoscar Hernandez, and Tommy Edman specifically. They also need to get their lineup in order once they get Max Muncy back. To me, the sensible thing to do is to put Mookie back in right field, put Teoscar in left, Tommy Edman at short, and Hyesong Kim at 2nd. This is by far the best possible defensive lineup they can put on the field, while maximizing the bats. I am especially encourage about the starting pitching. It’s hard to conceptualize, but Shohei Ohtani might be their best starter when he’s built up, and in a playoff series if you could deploy him followed by Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and backed up with the likes of a Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Emmet Sheehan, you have to like your chances. The bullpen still has some very good relievers, but Tanner Scott isn’t one of them. If you can’t close 85% or more of your games, you shouldn’t be closing, and right now Alex Vesia should be the guy. Either way, the Dodgers should look at bullpen and starting pitching depth, as well as a versatile outfielder at the deadline. They should feel pretty good about where they are, with all things considered, and also feeling even better about their potential.

Then there’s the Angels who hit the break 2 games under .500 and 4 games out of the wild card chase. I just don’t see how this team is going to make the playoffs as presently constructed, and I don’t see 1 or 2 moves by the trade deadline to get them there. The Halos are one of the worst hitting teams in the league. Only the Rockies strikeout more times than they do, and they are ranked 24th in the league in team batting average. Everything was always going to come down to the development of their young players and there’s not enough big league talent to support that development. Zach Neto has been great, Nolan Schanuel is ok, Sam Bachman is really just a reliever. Reid Detmers looks promising, but for some reason they don’t want to put him back in the starting rotation. Christian Moore has been struggling early on, but given that the don’t develop players well, I’m not too optimistic. They also drafted pitcher Tyler Bremner out of UC Santa Barbara, with the #2 pick in yesterdays draft. I get the appeal these days of drafting the dude that strikes out a lot of guys and throws hard. However, Bremner might not even be a top 100 prospect, and is projected to be a mid rotation pitcher. It’s insanity to think that Perry Minasian could come out of a draft without someone that will be a clear cut top 100 prospect, given how desperate the Halos are for talent. A much better pick probably would have been the left hander Kade Anderson from LSU, or Ethan Holiday, who could be their future 3rd baseman and projected to be an all-star. How Minasian is still employed as GM of the Angels is becoming a mystery.

July 7, 2025

Don’t lose your mind over the Dodgers folks. The Boys in Blue were due to lose a series, it just stinks that it happened against a bunch of cheating scumbags like the Astros. They still have the best record in the NL, and lead the NL West by 7.5 games following Sunday’s loss to Houston. It wasn’t like the Dodgers threw anywhere near the best pitchers in this series, and Saturday’s loss can be attributed to stupid mental mistakes. You can’t manage every series like game 7 of the World Series, especially for those of you thinking Shohei Ohtani should have pitched 6 innings on Saturday. The lineup did not hit, and is still unfortunately very dependent on the 3-run homer. I’m not discouraged by the loss to the Astros, but I am slightly disappointed by the fact they have a record only 1 game over .500 against teams with a winning record. Still, you can’t be that upset when the Dodgers have essentially the same record as they did this time last year. They have also been ravaged by injuries to their pitching, and now the lineup with Max Muncy, who they are very lucky to be getting back in 6-weeks from now. With all these things considered, maybe we shouldn’t be so upset their record isn’t that amazing against the elite teams.

I had the privilege of seeing Clayton Kershaw earn his 3,000th strikeout last Wednesday against the White Sox. It was an amazing moment for both Kershaw, the Dodgers, and their fans. Every time this man takes the mound, everyone wants to see him succeed because he’s a great guy, and a great Dodgers who has given it his all. Frankly, I don’t think he gets enough credit for still being an effective pitcher and trying to re-invent himself by changing speeds the way he does every time he gets the ball. Easily the best pitcher of his generation, a First Ballot Hall of Famer, a top 10 pitcher of all-time, an arguably the greatest Dodger of all-time. I still probably wouldn’t love the idea of him starting a playoff game in a perfect world at this stage of his career, but do I think he can be an innings eater in the playoffs who could be effective out of the bullpen? Definitely. It’s also really great to see Clayton selected as an all-star as the Commissioner’s Pick. Also deserving and selected were Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith. Yes it would have been fun to see Mookie make the team, but let’s be honest, he probably didn’t deserve it with his down year. Andy Pages was a complete snub however, and while we’re being honest, he should have made it over that front running San Diego Padre fool, Fernando Tatis.

As for the Angels, they got swept by the Blue Jays over the weekend, and now are 4.5 games out the Wild Card Spot. Going into last week it was looking really good and like they were in serious contention, however, now they reverted back to the mediocrity we expected from them. The Halos are also wasting some pretty damn good performances from Reid Detmers and Kenley Jansen on a regular basis. Ironically though, neither one of those guys ended up being All Stars for the AL. Instead, it ended up being Yusei Kikuchi, which was definitely not the guy I would have thought made the cut. Mike Trout also needs to get it together. When your slugging percentage begins to lower near your on-base percentage, that’s probably not a good thing. If the Halos are going to stay in contention, they need Trout to at least resemble a productive player.

To the NBA, where the Lakers finally found a starting center! They signed DeAndre Ayton to a 2-year contract last week, after he basically fell out of the sky with a buyout from the Blazers. I don’t care what the pundits tell you either, the signing of Jake Laravia was a steal. This kid is 9 years younger than DFS, he’s $40 million cheaper, and he’s almost identical statically. In fact, at the moment he’s a better 3-point shooter, and may even be a slightly better and more physical defender than DFS. Although I would have loved Al Horford as a backup, Jaxton Hayes as a backup is a quality move too. Ultimately though, the Lakers still have needs. They need a defensive wing, a scorer off the bench, and an upgrade at backup point guard would be nice too. Don’t count out Rob Pelinka from getting this done. I know you haters want him gone, but its’s a bottom line business, and so far he’s improved the Lakers from where they were last year. Sure Houston and Denver are much improved, but the gap between all these teams isn’t that big as we learned last year. Remember the Lakers were the #3 seed in the West, and they did have injuries in that 1st round, as well as no depth. As for other rumors, If some how the Lakers could get Bradley Beal and Marcus Smart through the buyout market, they would really be in business. While I personally like Chris Paul and Damian Lillard, I don’t think either is a good fit for this roster right now, especially when it means having multiple players over 35 on your team.

As for the Clippers, they made a big move this morning, trading Norman Powell to Miami in a 3-team deal that brought them back John Collins. They also brought back James Harden, and signed Brooke Lopez as a backup big man. Lopez is a bit long in the tooth, but he could be ok in limited minutes. Chris Paul seems to be dying to come back to SoCal with the Lakers or Clippers, but they don’t seem to have much of an interest in him so far. That could change now that Norman Powell has been traded. I may be in the minority here, but Norman Powell was having a career year last year, and I like him a lot better than Collins. I understand the positional fit with Collins though. The Clips still have a solid team in a competitive West, but they have to look at rolling the dice with this squad until Kawhi comes off the books in 2027, and everything still depends on his health. Even if they are aging a bit with Kawhi, Harden, and Lopez between now and 2027 they’ll just have to play the game where they hope Kawhi can hold up for 82 games plus the postseason.

To the NHL, where the LA Kings are just a complete embarrassment to their fans. I owe Rob Blake an apology. I never really imagined that there could actually be someone worse at their job than him. I was wrong. Ken Holland is a disaster! First he trades Jordan Spence for a used bag of pucks, and clearly had no understanding of his trade value because he barely got anything for him after 5 years of development and becoming a top 4 defenseman. Then he lost his very best defender in Vladislav Gavrikov, who clearly did not want to be with the Kings. This is what happens when you hire a GM and keep a coach in place who everybody knows should be managing a Walmart in Quebec, rather than coaching an NHL Franchise. But there’s more! Then in order to replace all that talent he lost, he goes and blows $20 million on an aging Brian Dumoulin, a crappy Cody Ceci, then signs Corey Perry and Joel Armia, in hopes that his moron coach will play his 4th line. Listen Philip Anchutz, your franchise is really a complete dumpster fire, and we’re all going to be there when you discover next summer that none of these top free agents are going to take all that money you have under the cap. The Kings are back to where they were before they won any cups, and before they were even ready to compete for them in 2007. This is not a free agent destination. It’s not viewed as a winner anymore, a hockey market, and their coach has a poor reputation. That’s a recipe for an organization that doesn’t know what it’s doing. It’s a very sad reality that many are in complete denial about.