After opting out of their stadium lease last October, the Angels agreed to a one-year lease extension with the city of Anaheim back in January. However, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times reports that the extension doesn’t mean the team’s lease now expires after the 2020 season. Rather, the January agreement was merely an extension of the opt-out agreement — effectively delaying the team’s final say on whether it’ll opt out at all or remain in its current lease with Angel Stadium, which runs through 2020. The Angels have explored the possibility of building new stadium in Long Beach and in Anaheim, but a third option would simply be to remain in their current park through the end of their current lease in 2029. Angels ownership will have until Dec. 31 to ultimately make that call; Shaikin suggests that any agreement on a Long Beach development would require the renegotiation of a short-term lease in the current facility while the new structure is built.
More news and notes out of the AL West…
- Prior to embarking on the team’s rebuild, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto tasked upwards of 20 baseball operations and analytics staffers with identifying potential acquisitions, writes Corey Brock of The Athletic (subscription required). “The most oft-mentioned hypothetically-acquired player was J.P. [Crawford], who was identified by virtually all of those who took part in the project,” Dipoto tells Brock. The organization widely viewed Crawford as an affordable and potentially available shortstop of the future, and Dipoto now says the club is more confident than ever that Crawford can be just that type of piece. The 24-year-old already dropped jaws across the baseball world with one of the season’s most spectacular defensive plays late last month (video link), and the club believes the work he’s put in with infield coach Perry Hill has improved his footwork to the point that he can be a consistent plus with the glove. Crawford’s .241/.321/.398 (95 wRC+) batting line isn’t all that eye-catching, the Mariners are optimistic that his bat will improve as his glove has this season. Crawford spent enough time in the minors this season that he can be controlled through the 2025 season.
- Last night’s gem from Homer Bailey — seven shutout innings of two-hit ball with one walk and seven strikeouts — was well-timed but doesn’t secure the veteran’s place in the Athletics’ rotation, writes Ben Ross of NBC Sports Bay Area. Bailey has pitched well in all of his home starts and last night’s road outing in San Francisco, but he’s also been torched in visits to Minute Maid Park (Astros) and Wrigley Field (Cubs). Each of Mike Fiers, Brett Anderson, Tanner Roark and Chris Bassitt appears locked into a rotation spot now, and the A’s will soon welcome back Sean Manaea from the injured list. A healthy Manaea would be Oakland’s best starter, leaving Bailey’s status somewhat unclear. The A’s also added Matt Harvey on a minor league contract last night, giving them another potential alternative to Bailey (depending, of course, on his performance in Triple-A Las Vegas).
build a new stadium in anaheim. hope the city agrees that the angels are vital to its tax stream.
The Angels have ZERO direction, just a poorly run organization.
People like u just like to complain
@haloshane probably best to find a new team then. Bye.
I like what the Mariners have done this year starting in the offseason. I wonder what DiPoto has up his sleeve this offseason coming up.
I’m sure something shocking
More losing in Seattle. Was happy to see DiPoto go when he was fired by the Angels.
Sleeves? Didn’t DiPoto trade those already?!?!
JD- look up his sleeves and you’ll see a trade of Dee Gordon, Domingo Santana and most likely Mallex Smith. You’ll also see him try to find K Seager’s replacement
sick of these teams and their stadium issues. fix them or shut up so the league can get on to more important issues!
angels wanted to fix its stadium using its own money and the city of anaheim rejected that. weird!
Moreno pledged Angels money toward stadium improvements in exchange for exclusive development rights to 155 acres of prime real estate surrounding Angels Stadium.
I agree with the City of Anaheim decision not to accept several million in stadium renovations in exchange for tens or even possibly hundreds of millions that Moreno could have earned if given that land.
Is the city of Anaheim developing the land? Is anyone developing the land? They will soon have more unused land when the Angels move.
there was a developer with all the talks but got nothing done. it’s best to build a new stadium in the same lot and a parking structure. a hotel and restaurants. and arte knows better to do it than the city does!
does the city have money to develop it? no!
Angels stadium is the 4th oldest in baseball. Its infrastructure is old and failing.
In 2013, Moreno asked for the right to develop land along Orangewood and S State in the current parking lot in exchange for doing $150 million in stadium renovations. About 1/3 of the parking lot. Not 155 acres of land. The entire piece of land the stadium and parking lot sit on amount to 155 acres. If Moreno developed that land Anaheim stood to gain millions per year in additional tax revenue.
In 2016, Moreno again offered to do ballpark renovations in exchange for the right to develop an area of what is now parking lot. The renovations proposed were $270 million and included 3 parking garages that would give the team the same amount of parking spaces.
The Angels are one of only two teams to have 3 million tickets sold every yer since 2003. If Anaheim wants all those people going to some other area to spend their money before and after games I am sure that Long Beach will be glad to have the Angels. Especially since the Angels are talking about a privately financed stadium either in Long Beach or Tustin if Anaheim does not come to their senses.
Tustin Angels. Sounds like a marketing nightmare for the league.
Tustin has the land but no pesos to help
california angels of tustin? another nightmare!
AgentX – what you say is simply not true. The entire lot is 155 acres. Moreno offered to pay $150mil+ for renovations and parking structures in exchange for the right to develop on less than a third of the parking lot.
The REAL reason that the city declined this offer is because they would have to give up CONTROL of the land, thereby preventing the corrupt politicians from shaking down other developers for campaign cash.
Bottom line, if the Angels leave that real estate is no longer so “prime” and I’ll bet you today that there will be nothing there 10 years after they leave but broken asphalt, all because of greedy politicians.
This is all true. The problem has been the city of Anaheim is terrified of being taken in a deal, but is wholly incapable of making its own deal. The city has partnered with for years with “investors” who lack resources. All kinds of ideas have come and gone, including a winter sports center, and an NFL stadium (to which the NFL said, “mmmmm, no thanks”).
Now Moreno is willing to pay to renovate and modernize a 50+ year old facility in Angel Stadium, in exchange for the development rights to adjacent land which is flat, paved and otherwise unoccupied. The proposed development would add shops, restaurants, and residences, to add to the property tax and sales tax base for the city.
It is too bad the City Council lacks the competence to get out of the way and partner with investors who are committing for the long haul.
They should go back to being the California Angels. Solves all issues about the name.
I mean they are just the LA Angels now….
The Crawford portion got me to thinking…..
I oftentimes read here that analytical magic produced a great trade or unearthed productivity out of a struggling player.
I never see any examples of trades that were made or acquisitions of players based on analytic research that didn’t pan out.
Are readers to believe there aren’t any?