Sports
Commentary: Angels are mired in free-agent purgatory. Why haven't they signed any top players?
The Angels seem mired in baseball purgatory as spring training approaches, one big bat and frontline starter away from possible playoff contention, and one or two injuries away from another fourth-place finish in the American League West.
They had a chance to — but didn’t match — the 10-year, $700-million deal Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers and lost the two-way phenom to their Southern California rivals, leaving gaping holes at the top of the rotation and in the middle of the lineup.
Those voids could be nicely filled with two pricey free agents the Angels have been linked to, veteran left-hander Blake Snell, who won the National League Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres last year, and left-handed-hitting slugger Cody Bellinger, who hit .307 with an .881 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 26 homers and 97 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs.
Snell, who went 14-9 with a major league-leading 2.25 earned-run average in 32 starts, striking out 234 and walking 99 in 180 innings, could bump Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning, Patrick Sandoval and Tyler Anderson down a slot in the rotation and significantly boost the starting pitching.
Bellinger could replace a chunk — but not all — of Ohtani’s power and give the Angels a Gold Glove-caliber defender in either center field, necessitating the long-anticipated move of Mike Trout to left, or at first base, where Bellinger could play if rookie Nolan Schanuel struggles in his first full season.
The Angels’ annual winter bullpen renovation seems to have gone fairly well, general manager Perry Minasian spending $49 million on right-handers Robert Stephenson, Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber and left-hander Matt Moore, who should provide new manager Ron Washington with plenty of setup options in front of closer Carlos Estévez.
The rotation would improve dramatically with the addition of Snell, and Bellinger would thicken the middle of a lineup that includes Trout, Anthony Rendon and Brandon Drury and will be be filled out by the likes of Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward, Mickey Moniak and youngsters Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto and Schanuel.
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell delivers during Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers in October 2022.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Would that be enough to vault the Angels, who suffered their eighth straight losing season by going 73-89 last year, into playoff contention in a rugged division that includes the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers and the perennial title-contending Houston Astros?
Maybe Probablynot, but it could give them a fighting chance.
Without such additions, the Angels will have trouble competing for a playoff spot, and will have even more difficulty absorbing another major injury to Trout, who has played only 237 games in the last three seasons, or the perennially hobbled and high-priced Rendon, who has been limited to 148 games the last three seasons.
The question is, would owner Arte Moreno, who put the Angels up for sale in 2022, only to pull them off the market early last year, shell out the money required to sign Snell and Bellinger, who both reportedly are seeking deals in the $200-million range?
Minasian didn’t shed much light on that question this week when asked if he was optimistic he could add more players this winter.
“We’re definitely not done from an offseason standpoint, but it’s got to be the right fit,” Minasian said. “It has to make sense. But do I believe there are still players out there who can help us improve and make us a more competitive club? Yes.”
Minasian was even more evasive when asked if the Angels would have a payroll similar to last year, when the GM jumped through more hoops than a Cirque du Soleil performer to waive enough players after an August collapse to get the Angels $28,000 under the $233-million luxury tax threshold.
“I’m not putting any type of number out there,” Minasian said. “It depends on the player and the fit. We’re gonna continue to work to try and make this team better.”
Angels manager Ron Washington, left, and general manager Perry Minasian share a light moment during Washington’s introductory news conference in November.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Angels’ payroll, as it relates to the competitive balance tax, stands at about $187 million, according to Cots Contracts, $50 million under the first luxury tax threshold.
They probably would have to convince Snell and Bellinger to defer large portions of their contracts, like Ohtani did with the Dodgers, in order to lower the present-day value of the deals for CBT purposes, but both players are represented by agent Scott Boras, who prefers his players get their money up front.
There is little indication that Moreno, who has been burned by so many nine-figure deals in the past, has the stomach for another massive free-agent splash, let alone two, and many fans wonder if he might be preparing to put the team up for sale again.
But if the Angels enter the season as currently constituted, they’ll likely be staring down the barrel of another disappointing season and contemplating — yet again — a total rebuild, which probably would begin with the trade of Trout, assuming the 32-year-old slugger regains something close to the form that made him a three-time American League most valuable player.
That’s not what Angels fans want to hear on the verge of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in Tempe, Ariz., but covering their ears isn’t going to help.
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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.
Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”
Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.
“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”
Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.
The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”
The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.
“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.
Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal match against Canada on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”
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Three years ago, as a 14-year-old freshman, Slava Shahbazyan made it to Bakersfield for the state wrestling championships.
“It was good to get experience that young,” he said.
Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It took four years.”
Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth.
“He got a lot better,” Medeiros said.
Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. “My father loves wrestling,” he said.
Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles.
Here’s the link to complete results.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
Ponder was 23 years old.
Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)
Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.
Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.
The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.
Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)
“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”
Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.
Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)
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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.
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