Free Agents

Oscar Azocar and Kevin Ward, the Padres' top two reserve outfielders this season, have become free agents after they rejected assignment to triple-A Las Vegas. In addition, the Padres released first baseman-outfielder Phil Stephenson. Azocar batted .190 with no homers and eight RBIs in 168 at-bats over 99 games. He hit .246 in 38 games in 1991. Ward posted a .197 average with three homers and 12 RBIs in 81 games. Stephenson, who earned a promotion from Las Vegas after hitting .

There are pickings like never before in the NHL, as more than half the league's players became unrestricted free agents late Wednesday night. But that makes it a buyer's market, and general managers, the buyers, are saying they will tighten their financial belts to prepare for an anticipated salary cap when a new collective bargaining agreement is in place. The current agreement expires Sept. 15, and league officials have threatened a lockout.

The National Football League Players Assn. is seeking a court order declaring 527 players--about one-third of all NFL players, including such stars as John Elway and Steve Largent--free agents beginning Feb. 1. Their contracts will expire that day. Union officials also admitted that 20% of the membership have not paid dues since the strike but predicted support from the National Labor Relations Board on unfair labor charges against the league.

Wayne Gretzky signed with the New York Rangers. Phil Housley signed with Washington. Bernie Nicholls signed with San Jose. The Mighty Ducks have stayed on the sidelines during the NHL's summer free-agent sweepstakes, but there's apparently a good reason why. General Manager Jack Ferreira said Wednesday he prefers to make a trade than sign an expensive free agent. He said he's working on two deals but would not get specific.

When it comes to the pursuit of the free-agent ballplayer, Mike Port, the thesaurus-thumping vice president of the Angels, has always been a small-print kind of guy. In the winter of 1987, the uptown Dodgers made bold headlines by signing free-agent outfielder Kirk Gibson and, soon, the Dodgers owned new rings, Gibson owned a National League MVP trophy and Bill Mazeroski no longer owned the most dramatic home run in World Series history. Port signed Chili Davis.

Now we'll find out how serious the Kings are about putting your -- and their -- money where their mouths are and adding an impact player who can accelerate their endless evolution. As the NHL's free agency period starts at 9 a.m. Pacific time today, the Kings are among the league leaders in two areas: the need for a pure scorer and salary cap space. They're committed to a cap hit of about $42 million next season under a cap of $56.

The Chargers have signed nine free agents, who will be invited to participate in the May 27-29 mini-camp for rookies and free agents. Signed were: quarterback Rick Neuheisel, UCLA; fullback Stephen Scriber, Maryland; running backs Kevan Jenkins, UNLV; Todd Spencer, USC and Clifton Stroughter, Illinois; linebacker Stan David, Texas Tech; free safety Alan Durden, Arizona, and defensive backs Walter Harris, Stanford, and Leander Knight, Montclair State.

The Dodgers used to be able to entice free agents by offering the chance to play for a perennial winner, and in front of a packed house. These are strange and troubled times in Los Angeles, with prospective free agents taking notice as their teams visit Dodger Stadium. As the Dodgers and San Diego Padres battled for fourth place in the National League West last weekend, all the empty seats stunned the Padres' All-Star closer, Heath Bell. "It's a lot sad, with nobody being there," Bell said Monday.

The Angels already are playing catch-up against the division-rival Texas Rangers, trailing the defending two-time American League champions by seven games through Sunday in the AL West. And they'll be way behind the Rangers again in June when it's time for Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft. Because of losses in compensation picks that came with the team's off-season free-agent signings of first baseman Albert Pujols and pitcher C.J. Wilson, the Angels' first pick will be in the third round, No. 114 overall.

Reporting from Dallas -- Prince Fielder is there for the taking. The Dodgers aren't playing, but Ned Colletti had a thought. "Can we sign Prince for $3 million this year and $30 million the next year?" the Dodgers' general manager said. It's too bad the question was rhetorical. As Dodgers fans await the sale of the team, and the accompanying deliverance from headlines about the likes of Chris Capuano, the unsettling truth is that a new owner might not be able to turn the Dodgers around in a hurry.