In a news release, the Angels ownership group announced that it is considering selling the team, and will start to explore a possible sale along with Galatioto Sports Partners (who have been retained as financial advisors during the process).
“It has been a great honor and privilege to own the Angels for 20 seasons,” owner Arte Moreno in the statement. “As an Organization, we have worked to provide our fans an affordable and family-friendly ballpark experience while fielding competitive lineups which includes some of the game’s all-time greatest players.”
“Although this difficult decision was entirely our choice and deserved a great deal of thoughtful consideration, my family and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that now is the time. Throughout this process, we will continue to run the franchise in the best interest of our fans, employees, players, and business partners.”
While any number of factors may have weighed into the Moreno family’s thought process, it was less than three months ago that Anaheim’s city council ruled against a long-gestating deal that would have seen Moreno’s management group purchase Angel Stadium and the entire 150-acre property around the ballpark. Moreno’s group was planning to develop the area into a multi-purpose residential and commercial space, similar to other “ballpark village” developments that have become common around both newer baseball stadiums and other venues in other sports.
However, the tentative agreement between Moreno and the city fell apart, in large part due to an ongoing federal investigation concerning alleged corruption, violations of state laws, and insider information. Former Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu resigned his position, and the city council voted to overturn the Angel Stadium deal entirely in the wake of the scandal.
Though the stadium controversy led to fresh questions about the franchise’s future in Anaheim, it now seems like Moreno himself will be walking away from the Angels entirely. Moreno originally bought the team in April 2003 for a price of $184MM, taking over operations from the Walt Disney Company in the wake of the Angels’ 2002 World Series championship season.
That 2002 title still stands as the franchise’s lone championship, despite Moreno’s efforts to remake the Angels into a big-spending perpetual contender. Under Moreno’s stewardship, the Halos have regularly been at least a top-10 payroll team, even if Moreno’s willingness to spend didn’t lead to a willingness to cross the luxury tax threshold. (2004 was the only season the Angels ever made a luxury tax payment.)
The Angels reached the postseason five times between 2004-09, though they won only two playoff series and didn’t advance beyond the ALCS. The regular trips to October soon stopped, as an AL West title in 2014 (and a three-game sweep at the hands of the Royals in the ALDS) marked the Angels’ most recent postseason appearance. After winning 85 games in 2015, Los Angeles has had six consecutive losing seasons, with the struggling 2022 squad on its way to making it seven straight years of sub-.500 baseball.
As Moreno’s statement noted, “some of the game’s all-time greatest players” have worn an Angels uniform in the last 20 seasons, including the likes of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, and Shohei Ohtani. Despite these and other talents, the Angels simply haven’t been able to break through due to a host of other ill-advised acquisitions. While Moreno was willing to spend, this aggressiveness manifested itself in many major investments that simply didn’t pan out — i.e. Josh Hamilton, Justin Upton, Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Jr., Zack Cozart, and (to date) Anthony Rendon.
Pujols’ ten-year, $240MM free agent deal is probably the defining transaction of Moreno’s ownership, and unfortunately symbolic of the Angels’ last decade of struggles. While Pujols was still an elite player heading into the 2012 season, giving such a major contract to a first baseman entering his age-32 season was seen as a risk, and those fears ended up being warranted. Pujols had a few good seasons in Anaheim, but injuries and the normal aging curve made him far less productive than during his prime years with the Cardinals.
Responsibility for these signings ultimately fell to Moreno himself, who was widely known to be far more involved in baseball operations than the average owner. The Angels have had five different general managers during Moreno’s tenure, with this revolving door reflective of Moreno’s lack of patience. As well, the Angels haven’t had much of a minor league pipeline in place to build around these high-priced acquisitions, as the Angels have routinely traded prospects and missed on several draft picks.
Trout is the major exception, of course, but the Angels haven’t been able to capitalize on having a homegrown prospect develop into a legendary player. Signing Ohtani was another huge moment for the organization, and while injuries have largely kept Trout and Ohtani from seeing a lot of time together in the same lineup, it still seems hard to believe that a team with two generational players hasn’t been able to even crack the .500 mark, let alone contend in October. Ohtani is a free agent after the 2023 season, and his future with the Angels will certainly be a major story over the next year-plus, with an ownership change now adding another intriguing wrinkle.
Major League Baseball now has two franchises known to be for sale, as the Lerner family is also widely expected to sell the Nationals. It is possible that any bidders for the Nats might also look into buying the Angels, and it’s safe to assume that either franchise will sell for at least $2.5 billion. The Angels’ proximity within the greater Los Angeles area could mean a higher price tag, though it also remains to be seen if the organization will necessarily remain in Anaheim.
As per the team’s Angel Stadium lease, the Angels are bound to their ballpark through 2029, with a club option to extend that lease through the 2038 season. While the Halos aren’t going anywhere in the short term, at least, a new owner might have designs on moving the team elsewhere. Conversely, a new owner might represent a new beginning for the Angels’ future in Anaheim, potentially a fresh start on talks about ballpark redevelopment, and perhaps even another name change. It’s probably safe to say that the old “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” mouthful will remain a thing of the past, but the club could also return to the “Anaheim Angels” moniker rather than being tied to Los Angeles.
oh my God please! as an angel fan please!
Get in there Frank McCourt
Don’t forget NewsCorp!
NewsCorp and then McCourt as LAD owners coincided with the golden era of Angels’ being tops in LA. Coincidence? Maybe not.
Sold to Elon Musk
The Astros would be a more fitting buy for him. The Angels will be purchased by a major church and redefined as a religious organization to evade taxes.
Damn … at first I thought the headline read Moreno was exploring a trade for Sale.
I got all excited for nothing.
#BuyTheAngels
News Corporation
Defunct media corporation (1979–2013)
Pushing fake news, fake facts from the pants on fire liars propaganda network.
…
Let’s hope it’s more “probable” than “possible” for Angels fans
.
I just heard the great news I’m excited to have a change of ownership Arte Moreno Baseball decisions have us strapped and anchor down with payroll but I’m glad that the team is for sale
HEAVEN CANT WAIT
Arte Morono is front and center at the “Create basic standards and practices for MLB team owners rules and guidelines” and make these talentless loser owners follow them, also John Fisher and Neal Huntington are right there behind him on this.
MLB has an owner problem and people like Arte are the reason why. He even spent money the right way but was genuinely terrible at the job, he should have never been allowed to be there in the first place.
There is no reason with the right group buying this team that the Angels can’t be the Dodgers or Yankees. The problem with this franchise has been Moreno. Groups will line up to get this franchise and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a $3B price tag. Great location and attendance that is typically third in baseball annually. The flexibility to rebuild the stadium or move in six years. Having the two best players in the game also is a draw. High profile ex-athletes will partner up to bid. It can’t come soon enough. May even allow us to keep Ohtani.
There’s a lot of dead money On the payroll I think that has to be deducted from the asking price I don’t see 3 billion
I wish I was a multi billionaire cause I would buy this franchise yesterday and put it on the proper path.
If 500,000 people put in $5000 each, you can reach the purchase price. I know you need way more than that but screw it, crowd source that sh†t.
Don’t we all.
The Angels franchise should be attractive for potential purchasers because it is located in the huge Los Angeles market.
The Angels will always be 2nd in LA to the Dodgers. Just like the Chargers and Clippers are to the Rams and Lakers. Just like the Mets are to the Yankees.
Except the Angels are not in Los Angeles.
Chargers and Rams? They have both been there for a couple of years. The Lakers are a disaster. Yankee stadium was half filled with Mets fans last night. Nothing is permanent. Everything changes.
And the Jets and Giants aren’t in Mew York.
Except they are in the Los Angeles market, which includes Orange County.
I do not understand what you are getting at. Because they are in the same market then they must represent the same city? The cardinals TV market includes the entire state of Missouri, so are the Cardinals and Royals the same team?
They are in New Jersey lol!
Angels are currently 12th in 2022 home attendance and 15th in overall average attendance. In 2021 they ended up 15th & 16th in home attendance and overall average attendance. Prepandemic, 2019 they were 5th and 8th. 2018 6th & 9th, 2017 7th & 9th, 2016 7th & 8th, 2015 5th & 7th. They did draw over 3.0M fairly consistently though so their position depends a lot on how well other teams draw.
I don’t see where you get third in attendance Unless you’re only speaking of California teams. If back to normal postpandemic, I think it safe to say in top 10 in attendance if a decent team.
Lately, yes attendance is in the 5th-10th range. That’s overall MLB right?
In AL attendance they have been 3rd-5th, usually only behind NYY and BOS and maybe a random team. Going back historically (20,30,40 years), the Angels have always had top 3 or so attendance. It’s definitely not CLEV, KC, OAK, MIA attendance. (no offense to those fans)
Angels will be 30th in 2023 once Ohtani is gone. Trout looks to be washed up as well as Rendon. Angels will be irrelevant by then and I hope Moreno doesn’t get the money he thinks he deserves.
As long as a corrupt legislature doesn’t pay for yet another billionaire’s stadium with your tax dollars, I’m fine with it.
Is that right out of the AOC school of finance.
Anaheim Stadium has paid for itself dozens of times over. It’s not giving money to billionaires, it’s building infrastructure.
At some point you get the perfect balance. Smart people look for that balance.
Let the trading begin
When someone says spending doesn’t equal winning and those who say that are much smarter then the average fan, just look at the angels for the last 15 years or so.
Time to trade Trout?
Albatross contract- Brian Cashman is probably the only 1 who is stupid enough to possibly take on the rest of that contract. Trout’s trade value is now lower than the lowest rated prospect in baseball.
Yes, but who and what GM would do it? Also, put Ohtani on the block now to get a tone back in return. Or if you move Trout, than and only than could you build around Ohtani.
Then…The word is THEN, not THAN..my God.
His contract is to big with his health history.
Trout? When was the last time he was healthy? If I were Trout, I’d ask for a trade when they do trade Ohtani. This is the only time the Angels will be relevant in the news. Where will Ohtani be traded and possibly Trout. Once they are gone, no one will care about the team. Better yet, the Angels might be better off relocating. LA/Orange County/Anaheim, doesn’t matter what you call them, no one is going to care.
Even when Ohtani is doing great, the sports channel barely recognizes the team. Once he’s gone, so will attendance, viewership, merchandise sales. Good luck to the new owner.
I 2nd and 3rd, and 4th that. Yes please and thank you.
Angels fans, rejoice!
I’m not even an Angels fan but this would be exponentially better for them.
Unless the new owner is not as apt to spend money as Moreno. Sure the Angels pretty much were bad for the past two decades, but that was not for a lack of trying. Just about every free agent signing turned out poorly for them. That was just incredibly bad luck combined with some poor decision making (Josh Hamilton). Most of their signings were perceived as good ones when they happened.
One just has to wonder if the Angels will remain a big market spending team like under Moreno or retreat to the small market mentality of the Gene Autry years.
What good is being willing to spend money if it’s spent foolishly and doesn’t result in any success?
At least you have a chance. Ask Pittsburgh if they would like to have an owner willing to spend
“Ummmm…that’s allowed?”
–Pirate fans everywhere.
AMG- Would you rather them operate with the payroll of a mid tier club given they have none of the player development?
“At least you have a chance. Ask Pittsburgh if they would like to have an owner willing to spend”
2013-2022:
Pirates 711-765 (.481)
Angels 722-756 (.488)
Last time in playoffs
Pirates 2015
Angels 2014
Last playoff game won
Pirates 2013
Angels 2009
Angels fans should be jealous of the Pirates, not the other way around. They’ve been just as competitive yearly and successful more recently, despite not having Trout, Ohtqni, Pujols, Rendon, and all the other mega-million dollar contracts the Angels have given out
Angels fans have gotten two or three flashy names, and otherwise the absolute worst team in baseball around them for more than a decade because Arte is only willing to spend on the big flashy names that he can market off of (and unfortunately, shallow Angels fans accept that as “trying” and still support him doing nothing but lining his pockets off their gullibility)
Go back another 20 years before 2013 and then try to repeat that.
@darkstar61 I know it served your narrative, but using the term “flashy names” to describe Ohtani and Trout makes one wonder about your knowledge of baseball history.
So count the years of Disney control, and the reminets of their organization, instead of just judging Arte on what Arte built?
How does that give a good indication of how he runs the club?
“Flashy names” hes willing to pay very clearly means guys he can market off of, and it is obviously in no way limited to those two – it includes the likes of Rendon, Syndergaard, Upton, Harvey, back to Vernon Wells, Pujols, Hamilton, and on and on and on.
@darkstar61…..
So, Angels fans “should be” jealous of Pirates fans? Maybe it would be better compare Nutting’s time as principal owner to Moreno as principal owner.
I’m NOT a fan of Arte Moreno. One way to look upon Moreno more favorably is to compare him to Bob Nutting. But maybe your defense had more to do with being slighted as a likely Pirates fan? That seems to be the most reasonable explanation.
Let’s look at division titles under these two owners as their are championships or pennants under either owner’s reign:
Number of AL Central titles under Nutting (since taking over as principal owner in ’07): ZERO
Number of AL West titles under Moreno (bought team in ’03): 6 titles.
Bottom line for fans is winning, right?
You chose stats since ’13 to maybe conveniently cover the time when the Pirates FO was developing talent-flashy names too- to have some success in early part of the last decade.
I should be jealous( even though I’m a Dodger fan) how Nutting chose to part with those flashy names like Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutcheon when it came time to compete with other teams for their services.
Owners want to make money, like most business people. Like most people, sometimes it doesn’t work ( see George Steinbrenner pre-1995) .
The only thing that I could see ANY baseball fan being jealous ( but it’s appreciation, not envy) of involving the Pirate is PNC Park. It’s a beautiful baseball park, typically drawing far better fan experience reviews than Angel Stadium.
But I get it if you were arguing some pro-Nutting nonsense because maybe hiflew insulted you as a Pirates fans. I might be a bit touchy about that too.
Angels total payroll 2013-2022: $1,561,210,110
Pirates total payroll 2013-2022: $718,891,527
The Angels have spent over $800 million dollars for 11 more wins than the Pirates
Its not always what you spend, its how you spend it and to Darkstar61’s point spending like a drunk sailor on shore leave has done nothing but fleece Angels fans on flashy names while the team has zero substance
It won’t. But it will give you a better indication of how Pittsburgh has been run.
@paddyo875
I used the last 10 years
Over those 10 years
Angels = 722-756
Trout = 60 WAR
Angels – Trout =
662 Wins
Comparable teams over those 10 years
670 Wins Reds
667 Wins Orioles
665 Wins Tigers(2nd worst in baseball)
637 Wins Marlins (worst in baseball)
So if not for Trout, they’d replace the Tigers as the 2nd worst team in baseball over the last ten seasons …and thats while still having Ohtani, Rendon, Pujols, Upton & many other mega million dollar contracts counted
When the team you put around Trout regularly ranks 6th-8th highest in payroll, but is better than only the Marlins over a ten year span, well you are taking failure to a whole new level
And the fact there are a few cultlike Angels fans like yourself here defending that failure shows Arte was not wrong in knowing he could take advantage of his fanbases shallowness, gullibility and devotion in order to line his pockets
Arte selling means the team has a chance to be good in the near future. Obviously you’d rather continue to be used like a schmuck by him, but you’ll eventually realize you’re happier when the worst owner in the game is no longer in the game
Paddy: I think darkstar knows baseball pretty well it is just an honest difference of opinion.
There is no doubt that watching the Angels is more fun than watching the Pirates. Reynolds and O’Neill are interesting but they are not as fun to watch as Ohtani and Trout. Like when the Mets sucked I still wanted to see deGrom pitch.
Clearly, Moreno and his GMs made some bad choices. Clearly, other than Trout, their farm system has been below average. Clearly the drug related death casts the recent years in a sad light and probably did not net enough perpetrators. But watching Trout and Ohtani with the Angels was a joy, and so I can generously give Moreno a C-/D+ rather than an F. There were others like Vlad Guerrero, Tori Hunter and a few years of Pujols. Moreno broke into an all-white owners club and he spent money to bring stars to his fans. At least some of the blame has to go to his GMs for not offering better advise. But yes, of course, a change of ownership will be well received by all. Hopefully the new owner will realize that without decent starting pitching, it is very hard to be successful.
The Steinbrenners aren’t white. Biggest sports team in the world had non-white owners for decades before Angry Arte showed up.
As a fan of baseball, I’m mostly glad with the prospect of Moreno selling the team. My team’s owners are SOLID; your reference to me as an fan indicates you are simply posting comments and not actually reading others’ comments.
My issue was your comps with Pittsburgh. Looking at what the Pirates have done under Nutting and what the Angels have done under Moreno is a more equitable way to compare their respective reigns.
Did Nutting spend a whole lot less to also field subpar teams? Of course he did. But the Angels won 6 AL West titles under Moreno. While all but 1 of those titles were 10+ years ago; the Pirates have won zero titles during Nutting’s reign.
Talking about how effective either team has been at spending money over the past 10 years is amusing . They both have been bad and talking about how each team invested is really just comparing which team has been more cost effective at being bad.
As previously stated, I am a Dodger fan. We Dodger fans weathered the down years of NewsCorp and McCourt ownership and now have an ideal ownership.
Your refrain about gullible Angel fans is irrelevant in your response to me.
You apparently did not read my comment completely ( it was long).
They’re proud latinos.who at times have pretended to be of German-Irish descent because it made it easier for them to break down barriers.
@Manny…No, it seems like it’s more about listening ( or in this case reading) to the other person’s side and responding accordingly. Repeatedly mentioning about Angels fans being gullible in their loyalty as if it somehow is relevant to my perspective or the point I made is simply replying without reading.
The white only began to be mixed into the Steinbrenner family beginning in the 1990s.
Just to clarify, my C-/D+ rating for Moreno presumes that he was not involved in any corrupt offers to government officials. So far there is no evidence of that.
The Steinbrenners were latinos before Angry Arte showed up and they never tried to corrupt government officials.
That was a lot of words to saying nothing
What the hell are you taking about and what does skin color have to do with anything here? Wtf
LOL
Steinbrenner is a German name – his father was of German descent. His mother was an Irish immigrant.
If you kids are joking around, fine. But is this just more of the revisionist history going on in America today?
That’s what George pretended at times because it made it easier to break down barriers. 100% latino family until white began to be mixed in during the 1990s.
LOL
I was raised in Cleveland. Went to Cleveland Piper games when George owned them. His father and my father knew one another.
His mother was Irish and had an Irish accent.
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
Nice con though.
You work in politics? TV news? Are you a teacher?
His birth name was Jorge.
PS he didn’t speak Spanish and look 100% latino for no reason.
The Angels brought in dramatically more revenue then the pirates. So there is that. It still is a business.
Not Spanish or Portuguse? Just Latino?
My grandmother’s name was Juanita…..born around 1900 or so….German decent.
Back around that time, Latin stuff was in and trendy…..they liked the name.
No.kidding…
Kinda stinks it’s now trendy to paint the older generations as racist.
Just because of few people who had movies made about them….. Most Americans people are not racist and we are getting pissed off racism is being used as a tool to hurt this country, it’s culture and its people. United we stand!
The Steinbrenners are from El Salvador originally.
I wouldn’t doubt it.
A lot of immigrants who wanted to come to the US spent time in SA and Mexico, waiting for the proper immigration papers to immigrate here legally. That’s why there are so many “Moros” on the border area of the US. Most of them merchants, who were not allowed to emigrate to the US in the late 1800s.
No one wanted to be “illegal” and the penalties were severe. No one wanted to get sent back to Europe or the “Middle East”. It was a big step just to leave where they came from and costly!
No they aren’t. That is the worst trolling I have seen. If you are going to troll, at least be more than just annoying.
Trump’s grandfather made his money, fittingly, in brothels in the old West.
He went back to Germany, met his wife and wanted to stay in Germany.
Trump’s grandfather had dodged the draft (just like his grandson) and was deported from Germany as an “undesirable”. for not fulfilling
his mandatory military commitment.
So the rotten apple does not fall far from the rotten family tree…
He works for OAN or Breitbart.
It WAS for a lack of trying. Arte artificially limited payroll at $180 million even though there was plenty of money available due to one of the to p5 TV deals in MLB. Arte interfered in who could be signed and who could be traded and would not allow pitchers to be signed to long term deals. Why? Position players are on the field every day so fans will come to see them play all week, not just once every fifth day. It was NEVER about winning to Arte, its was about marketing and money in his pocket. It will be a $2+ billion investment to buy the Angels, so whoever the new owner is is going to have money. Good riddance to Arte.
I guess he figured out real life Fantasy Baseball doesn’t really work.
Exactly
“combined with some poor decision making (Josh Hamilton)”
And Upton, and pujols, and Rendon, and not trading Ohtani, etc.
Rendon was bad luck. He was universally regarded as a good signing at the time.
Pujols was the best player in the game at the time of the signing. You could not have gotten him for less.
Upton was not a FA signing. He was traded to the Angels for scraps after Detroit signed him.
No, he wasn’t. He was a 30 year old with an extensive history of injuries. 30- can’t emphasize that enough. Pujols was not the best player in the game at his signing- he began declining in 2010 and wasn’t even close to his peak at the time of the signing and was at least 32 years old. Unbelievably bad signing.
Who was the best player in the game in 2011 then Mr Hindsight?
I know no one who thought the Pujols $ was a good idea. Rendon is great, when on the field (which is not enough, w a history to support this). I do commend you for doubling down on your thesis when a handful of folks on here refute it…at least you stick to your guns.
Rendon wasn’t a good signing to the Nats, right? They knew him best. And the Nats just let Soto go because they need to rebuild. These are the adult, non emotional choices Moreno has refused to make. If the Angels traded Trout and Ohtani they would get back at least 12 premium prospects and free up $55M to spend– and that 55 is going become $85M if they resign Ohtani. If they traded the rest– Walsh, Stassi, Adell, etc– they would net even more prospects and free up more money. In 10 months there will be another draft with the new lottery system that will give the Angels at a shot at a top 5 selection. They had a strong draft this year and last, so they would be in position to create an incredible winner with organizational depth for years.
BS. Rendon averaged 146 games per season from 2016-2019. No history of injuries at all. Pujols averaged 154 games per season from 2008-2011 and in 2010 he led all of baseball in HR and OPS+. Pujols was signed because, as Arte said at the time, people will come to see him play. Bad signing and still better than your takes.
Jose Bautista.
There are a handful of people that will refute the Earth revolving around the Sun. I never back down from a handful of people, especially when everything we are talking about is just opinion anyway. I don’t care if 6 billion people get on here and say they disagree with me. It doesn’t change my opinion because I don’t base my opinion on what others think. I base my opinions on what I think.
Whether of not the players played well is completely besides the point
The problem was ever signing them while knowing your budget would not allow you to pay those players some of the highest salaries in the game while fielding a competitive team around them. None of them were even needed to begin with, yet they were given the contracts they were because he could make money off their names and get gullible fans to think that was “trying” since they had fancy names to go watch
So Arte continually has 3 guys that he can market off of, with said names always making 50-60% of the payroll, leaving the other 37 spots on the 40 man roster to be filled with whatever can be gotten on the cheap
He has forced his GMs to add such flashy names since his first offseason in charge of the club , and its the reason his club has become more and more of a failure as we got farther away from the Disney years
Some might say Miggy.
Oh yeah, because the Nats thought signing Strasburg was a much better value instead.
Or Miggy
hiflew
The best player in the game in 2011 still plays: Justin Verlander. Maybe Matt Kemp was next. Pujols was an MVP in 2009 and 2009. The contract was a bad idea, but it was market value.
Miggy
Please provide a link to even one legitimate writer that thought Rendon was a bad signing at the time. Just one will do. We will wait.
They would have a good argument. Miggy was incredible back then
Who cares what writers thought?? What is that??
I think most any team could have ended up as the lucky winner in the Hamilton sweepstakes….Matthews Jr…Wells…CJ Wilson..maybe even Pujols….same stuff. I don’t wanna write Rendon off yet. Still think he is a pure hitter and is gonna want to come back with a vengeance. As a longtime fan I can say they are unequivocally the Kings of bad contracts though. Any dignified Halo fan will admit to as much.
Muted.
Bologna. The failures of this franchise to even reach .500 in eight years is not about luck– it’s about management’s choices. Every team has significant injuries. The Dodgers are without Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May– and yet they are right at the top. They have depth. That team drafts last or nearly last every year and yet they have 7 prospects ranked in the top 100. We draft at 12 or better every year and we have none of our draftees ranked–NONE. Only O’Hoppe is ranked, and he was just traded for from the Phillies for Marsh. That is the core problem. Moreno fired most of their scouting staff and did not invest heavily in Latin America– that’s all on Moreno– not luck. It was his choice to flatter his ego by signing Pujols and the rest of the overpaid. Moreno refuses to talk to the L.A. Times because he doesn’t like their coverage of him– does that make sense? You need to promote your team. There are so many odd decisions by Moreno that it’s impossible to list them all.
But weren’t Marsh and Adell just considered part of one of the best farm systems in the league just a year or so ago? Prospectors have such short memories. It is almost comical.
This post is spot on.
Both Adell and Marsh (and Canning and Rodriguez, and Dietmers and on and on) were rushed way to quickly to the majors to show off the flashy names they had on the prospect lists
Its all about conning gullible smucks like yourself who get excited over a few names on the roster while you’re completely oblivious to the fact you actually have the worst team in baseball put around them
Thank you for this great comment!
But weren’t Marsh and Adell just considered part of one of the best farm systems in the league just a year or so ago?
======================================
I don’t know about the overall farm, but Marsh & Adell was mostly just good, imho.
But those two guys were the most mishandled prospects I have ever seen. It’s like the Angels think AAA is a waste of time.
NO! When were the Angels considered one of the best farm systems? They have been horrible for years. All you need to know is that they only have one player in their current top 15 prospects that wasn’t drafted or traded for in the last 14 months by this new GM. All of our top picks during Eppler are barely in our top 30. That is bad, bad drafting. We have one player ranked in the top 100– O’Hoppe, whom we just traded for. The Dodgers have 7 even though they draft last or next to last each season.
I don’t think they’ve had one of the top farm systems in the last few years? Marsh and Adell were added for 2017.
Was hard to find rankings by the same outlet but:
2017 – 30- bleacher report
2018 – 14 – bleacher report
2019 – 28 – bleacher report
2020 – 26 – mlb.com
2021 – 25 – mlb.com
Gullible smucks? That’s a good one. It would be even better if you spelled schmucks correctly. But you get a pass on that one since it is an original Yiddish word and I assume someone named “darkstar” is not Jewish.
But that’s OK. If you think I am one of those prospectors that gets excited over names on a page, then you are even less insightful than I gave you credit for. Either way, been fun going back and forth with you. Have a nice day.
2022 they are currently ranked 27.
“……or retreat to the small market mentality of the Gene Autry years.”
LOL
Autry spent like a drunken sailor.
Gene Autry was a great owner who ran into some bad luck. 1986, anybody? One of the most heartbreaking losses in sports history, unless you are a Red Sox fan.
1979 was another terrible ending, but 1986 takes the cake.
1982 as well. Up 2-0 going to Milwaukee.
The problem is that this ownership group spent money very foolishly.
It is good for an owner to spend money the way Arte spent as long as there is a substantial investment in the farm system. The Angels farm system seems to struggle with developing solid major league caliber players, especially pitchers.
If the next owner isn’t going to spend the same kind of money then the next thing Angels fans can hope for is a newly revamped player development program like they had 20 years ago. But I can’t imagine the next owner being cheap with Trout and Ohtani as the main event. But if the next owner is cheap, then we’ll see a mega farm system replenishment because both players would likely be traded. As of right now, I’m seeing the next owner as being another dedicated group like the Dodgers. It just makes a lot of sense being around the same market. The Mets have just busted through the door to give the Yankees a run for their money. So whoever purchases the Angels should be in the same boat.
Because you have to develop the farm system first before adding Free Agents. The Angels system is so bad they gave to sign FA utility infielders and middle relievers.
Every dumb fan says every free agent signing is good, until they suck and they change their opinion with hindsight, it’s hard to say at the time it’s a bad contract. Everyone can identify if it’s a good move to get a good player signed or traded today that goes without saying dummy.
Heaven-sent words to this poor fanbase. Hopefully the new owner removes LA from the name and gets back to its roots
That would be great. ANAHEIM ftw
NOT Anaheim. Make them the California Angels again.
100% California Angels!!!
ORRRR maybe the new owner comes in and ups the payroll and fields a complete 26 man team that can compete!!!
Sorry that ^ was app error. Meant for another comment.
That’s OK. The other comment was mine also, so I got the message.
@hiflew…I think it was meant for the aoe3 post, which you replied to as well.
Los Angels Angels of Anaheim. Horrible marketing ploy that properly reflects the big spending failures or that organization.
Back to its roots? The team was originally called the Los Angeles Angels.
Going back to Anaheim is like going back to its branches or some other tree part that is not the roots.
They were called Los Angeles Angels when they started out in Los Angeles. Then they moved to Anaheim.. Makes sense to use the name Anaheim.
Hey Big Fred, no one cares about Anaheim other than people who live in Anaheim. The revenue lost by switching to that brand name would hurt the team’s ability to compete financially. Los Angeles Angels, Hollywood Angels, even California Angels is better. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Anaheim is a suburb of LA and doesn’t represent all of Orange County. If not for Walt Disney and Gene Autry, it would be Santa Ana or Garden Grove.
Irvine Angels? Less of a stretch than GG. That city is lucky to get the 22 bearing it’s name.
Sometimes the messenger needs to be shot, to send a message back to the sender.
Easy there Lyman, wasn’t being shot what shortened your career?
I also believe they are the only original California baseball team.
Yes, but back then they actually played their games in Los Angeles. They need to become the California Angels again.
The Los Angeles Angels played in LA for sixty years before the Dodgers, they wore the integrated L and A logo for three decades before the Dodgers “appropriated” it.
Yet somehow it is always the Angels who should change.
Walter O’Malley bought the interlocking LA when he bought the LA Angels minor league team. They were moved to Spokane, WA. and didn’t need the interlocking LA anymore, did they?
The Angels used their own version of it when they played in Dodger Stadium, which they called Chavez Ravine, and they could still use it now if the new owner so desires.
If they end up in Long Beach, they definitely should bring it back since they will be playing in L.A. County at that point.
Not a fan of the PCL being labeled a “minor league” but that’s how MLB wants it.
Players were paid about the same and also often sold between the two leagues. PCL teams had radio deals and many, like the Angels, had solid fan support.
It wasn’t a feeder league. It was just a league on the West Coast.
Perhaps Disney will buy the team again, call them the California Superheroes. Think of all the marketing ventures they could do now that they didn’t have before. Put all the games on Disney Plus, turn the team into a global brand, feature them in movies.
If Disney came in, I wonder if they could try and buy the name Guardians from Cleveland and then make a movie starring Rocket and Groot. Guardians in the Outfield.
Well done.
I don’t think you want Disney back. Look at what they’ve done with ruining the Star War franchise with all the woke non-sense. Ditto with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Yeah. Everybody hates Marvel. You can tell by how badly all their movies do.
Especially after Avengers: End Game. Magic is gone
The first move Disney would do, is trade Trout to the Yankees. Then pay his entire salary, to get the exclusive rights to make a George Steinbrenner movie. Then take back Aaron Hicks and say that was the best trade offer. In 6 years that the Rat owned the Angels. They picked in the top 5 , 4 times. They only once finished with a winning record once. Finished dead last twice. But fans act like they were a playoff team every year under Disney.
The name Los Angeles is their roots. Know your Angels’ history.
That was when they actually played in Los Angeles, They moved to Anaheim in 1965.
I’m sure you make this comment in every NY Jets, NY Giants, Dallas Cowboys, etc. thread, right?
The Angels were both founded in LA and play in the LA media market (the latter really being all that matters here).
Look, I hate LA. Feel like I need to take a shower every time I drive through it. I’d prefer California. But I don’t get why fans are all pissed at the Angels in particular for doing what about a dozen teams across sports do.
I am not angry that the Angels took on the name LA. Just pointing out that before Arte changed to name to take advantage of the fact that LA is the 2nd largest media market in the US, they were only the La Angels when they played in LA. Once they moved to Anaheim they changed their name.
To California Angels which would be the prefered name for most Angels fans!
That Angles team that you claim lineage to is not the same and outside of the name, has ZERO connection to the old PCL Angels. That team moved to Spokane and Later Albuquerque and was until recently, a Dodgers affiliate. The fact you Angels fans keep making that claim is a joke.
I did not know that. Thanks for telling me.
Angels fans should rejoice!
We are. The day its final their will be partying in the streets of OC.
“There”
See you there! I’ll bring the sparklers.
Don’t tell hiflew. Dude is a Moreno fan apparently.
You are just as insightful figuring out my fandom as you are with the rest of your baseball analysis.
best news headline ive read in a long time.
And all of y’all thought teams didn’t get ideas from reading the comments sections on MLB trade rumors. All of you Angels fans who have called for this for the last year or so are the real MVP’s.
This is the greatest day in Angels history.
Idk maybe when they won the world series in 2002 was a bit better
Nope- as great as that day was (and i remember it clearly), this will go down as the greatest day in Angels history.
From the minor league system travesties, to the perpetual ill-advised signings that Moreno essentially forced his GMs into (I’ve long quipped that Moreno can be likened to that of a cat with all of his adored shiny objects), he has cast the Angels franchise into a decade long stretch of misery and futility.
As many have mentioned in previous years, they’ve squandered the prime years of one of the greatest players to every play., and it didn’t have to be that way. The Angels play in a top 3 market, yet somehow have never even come close to flirting with the luxury tax line. Inexcusable.
The man was more concerned about turning a big profit than creating a sustainable winning product on the field.
That was the year BEFORE Arte bought the team. Maybe, just maybe, we have a shot at seeing another playoff team in our lifetime now that he will be gone. Ding Dong Artes dead, the wicked Arte is dead.
Depends who the buyer is. What if Wilpons are coming back?
“exploring the possibility”? That statement definitely sounds like he’s selling it, pending a buyer
He is definitely selling. He will get over two billion for it.
Yesssss!!!!!!!!
Maybe Trout will want out now and hell be traded in off season or next deadline if the team is out of it?
So much damage over the yeara with the owner overriding the gm and signing these huge contracts with generally poor performance.
He’s damaged goods now. No way the Angels will get anything close to his perceived value.
Finally! Joe Lacob or Steve Ballmer, LFG!
team could go for over $3B. Ballmer overpay again?
“Sale the team”
Let’s go! Sell Sell Sell you scumbag!
Paging Steve Ballmer, Steve Ballmer. Please go to the red courtesy phone.
If Ballmer buys the Angels, this might make me like the Clippers, just a little bit, let’s not get crazy!
I see Angels in the Outfield.
Robert Nutting is buying the Angels!
good news for the angels bad news for the rest of baseball except the teams that can snag trout and ohtani
What makes you think another team will snag either player?? I’d be willing to bet any new ownership group will keep them both and build around them PROPERLY!
as you know usually when a team sells or shortly before they will unload all of their biggest trade pieces for value. each of those guys could gut a clubs farm system thats a big deal for a new owner. good luck w that wishful thinking though.
As a Rangers’ fan, I’m personally fine with him keeping the team tbh
As a Mariners fan, I concur.
Further agreement from an astros fan.
A chance to buy the two best players in the game and a team in (the vicinity of) the second biggest market?
Yeah, he might get a few bids.
Trout is not one of the 2 best players in the game anymore. Not even close. And Ohtani isn’t one of the 2 best either- he’s maybe top 5.
Next time don’t forget to wipe before you speak
According to whom? Certainly not the players who say he is. Not the media. Who is better? Anyone can have a better season, but who has elite seasons year after year? He’s got 24 homers playing part time.
even if trout has become mortal his name and history make most think he is still the best in the mlb. trout sells seats at this point because fans want to be part of history, it’s one of the things that makes bb special, you can go to a game (if you can afford it but that’s a different topic all together) with your dad and grandpa and see a potential hof set a record or milestone, and what your talking about on the ride home is the history you just watched. long and short trout keeps the faithful coming to the games even if he is become a mortal man but to see history and it’s a feel good story that he can be one of the few that spent his whole career with one team. the real problem is what do you do with o and rendon, o is selling tickets similar to trout (the whole history thing) but trading o might springboard any rebuild but will hurt sells, with rendon i don’t see that contract moving without eating most of it or trading away from a thin farm system.
Trout and Ohtani need to be traded
You aren’t going to like their best possible landing place who can give up the best prospect+talent package back: The Los Angeles Dodgers.
Which package actually traded for any marquee player over the last 10 years even in hindsight would be worth trading either Trout or Ohtani?
And how may trades for marquee players over that same period (even for walk-year superstars) have been complete busts?
why trade two biggest stars? especially with Ohtani being so cheap, They need to move Rendon which is likely impossible
Justin Upton LF $27,473,077
Noah Syndergaard SP $13,615,360
Raisel Iglesias RP $6,483,510
along with Archie Bradley,
come off the books after the season
What they need is better drafting and building out farm system
Yep. Arte spent big on free agents but skimped on development.
Fortunately we have a great team in AA with plenty of pitching prospects and some decent bats.
There’s not a lot of depth and we’ll need some guys to pan out, but take a look at the Rocket City Trash Pandas and there’s reason to smile.
@ Milwaukee you’re drunk on cheap beer…Lmao no they don’t. The ownership needs to build a roster around the star players.
Trout/Ohtani new majority owners
Trout’s trade value is now lower than the lowest rated prospect in baseball because only an idiot would take on the remainder of his contract ($37 million per year through 2030 for a 31 year old broken down shell of a player). Brian Cashman is the only 1 who has enough of a combination of stupidity and resources to might possibly take the rest of that contract.
That’s such a ridiculous comment to make. He was off to another great start until the Astros threw at him and just about broke his hand at the beginning of the year. I would still take a healthy Trout over any player in MLB today, including Ohtani. I really don’t understand the hatred for the Angels organization from some fans, that’s the only reason your hating on Trout.
“Over any player” indeed. Still the best.
Don’t care what the beginning of the season looked like- he’s a physical wreck and a 1-dimensional shell of the player he used to be. Played at roughly a 5 WAR pace in 2020, posted 2 WAR last year, will finish with 5 WAR or less this year. He will average 2-4 WAR of actual production for the next 3 years, with a possible ceiling of 5 WAR in any given year. Only an idiot would take on the rest of his contract even if he were given away for nothing in return.
With all that being said…I am curious as to your prognosis for Bellinger…What is his 3 yr outlook?
Around 2 WAR average.
TrueReality, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you changed your name from “TheOpener”. If not, your plagiarizing his material. Either way, it’s not a good look.
@Angels & NL West, either TheOpener or Evan Stanleyson.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/04/injury-notes-gray-treinen-urias-herrera.html#comments
Mathew, yep. Totally the same guy. He changes his name, but his comments remain the exact same.
Pretty ridiculous take. Every major franchise would line up for Trout. His $36M a year is a bargain. He’s broken down at 30? Is Bryce Harper broken down? Mookie Betts? Aaron Judge has had one full season his entire career. Is Tatis broken down? Trout has 24 homers playing part time and he’ll probably wind up with 34.
-He’s 31, not 30
-$37 million, not $36 million
-$37 million for around 3 WAR is not a bargain whatsoever
Again, just look at the stats- he has been a broken down, 1-dimensional shell of the player he used to be beginning in 2020, and this year he also has the lowest BA and OBP of his career. Ks way up beginning in 2020, BB way down beginning in 2020 in addition. The hitting was the thing that was holding up the best (his running game is completely over- he used to be great with it, and he hasn’t had a good season in the field since 2018), yet for 2 of the past 3 years, even that has been showing signs of serious decline.
Good riddance, one of the most disgraceful, corrupt owners in the game.
Corrupt??
Arte is under investigation for bribery of government officials including the former mayor of Anaheim who resigned because of the allegations. .
The former mayor is under investigation.
“In December, state housing officials said the city had violated an affordable housing law, which the city vigorously denies.
When the dispute appeared to be settled through a legal agreement brokered by the state Attorney General’s office, a corruption scandal broke. Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu was under federal investigation for allegedly passing confidential information to Angels Baseball officials in hope of soliciting $1 million for his reelection campaign.
Court documents connected to the Sidhu probe note that the investigating FBI agent had no evidence that Sidhu actually solicited campaign funding from the Angels, or that the team’s representative was aware of his intention. Angels representatives have said they conducted “honest arms-length negotiations” that were done in “good faith.”
I realize everything on this website is through the lens of the baseball transaction. And as sad as it has been to see the Angels have so little success. You can’t deny that going to Angel stadium is a great experience, the staff is the friendliest. Its the most affordable thing about Orange county. I want to see them win, but I hope it doesn’t come at the sacrifice of the fan experience.
We must not be going to the same stadium then.
Anything better than nosebleeds or outfield seats is still very expensive.
@Klink try pricing out similar seats vs similar opponents/ days of week etc. at other ballparks. Angels are not very expensive when put into perspective.
Angels are at $182.62 for a family of 4 to attend a game according to The Hustle. I think that is 13th in MLB.
https://thehustle.co/americas-favorite-family-outings-are-increasingly-out-of-reach/
https://thelistwire.usatoday.com/lists/cost-for-family-of-4-to-go-to-mlb-game-in-2022/
The Red Sox are the most expensive at $324.37 Cubs and Yankees are also over $300.
I would gladly drive 90 miles to see a game at Petco Park than a few miles to see a game at Angel Stadium. The only thing above average at Angel Stadium is parking is only $20. But, unless you leave early, exiting the parking lot is a nightmare.
Parking at the Amtrak lot there is 8 bucks on game days. Don’t tell anyone..
Shhhhhhhh. That is our little secret.
Haha I regretted it as soon as I posted it. Next time we show up it’ll be a full lot and up to $15 a pop.
I love Petco. Its one of the top 3 places to see a game in baseball and the fan experience is top notch.
Still lots of reasons to drive up or take the train up to an Angels game with Trout and Ohtani being chief among what is on the field. Hoping the new owners are more competent than Moreno. We need more good baseball in SoCal.
Not sure what you are talking about in terms of parking. The Big A is not Chavez Latrine in terms of nightmare parking and there are so many options including the train nearby. Its actually easier to get in and out of than Petco if you are driving in and parking. I usually don’t for either. The train/trolley is just so much more convenient.
Chavez “Latrine” haha Too funny…I’ve driven in circles around that place for an hour before because they didn’t feel like opening up the other lots. Angels Ushers are some of the most friendly folk I’ve ever met. Mostly retired people who love the Angels and trying to make a few extra bucks to supplement their social security. Never had a bad time at an Angel game. Dodger Stadium is different now. It’s come a long way the past 10 years and now I can comfortably take my elderly step dad to games there.
Stadium is an eye sore
Compared to dodger Stadium Anaheim stadium isn’t
Angels stadium will never be Dodger stadium. It’s an iconic Southern California classic on par with In-N-Out. Angels don’t matter to most Southern California fans and no one considers the big A-hole a must see. You guys don’t even make the playoffs more than once every decade. What a joke
Anaheim does matter to a huge amount of Los Angeles and San Diego because the first owners were the Disney family and therefore Anaheim was the first latino owned MLB team (huge latino population in Los Angeles and San Diego).
Given a chance to go to a game at the Big A or Chavez Latrine, the Big A wins every time. Hands down.
Better fan experience. Easier access. Cheaper prices.
And I don’t have to put up with the creatures that the Dodgers attract. Never once been afraid for my life because of the fans around the stadium in Anaheim.
There is a reason that the Angels were top 5-7 in MLB in attendance pper game and top 3 in percentage of capacity prior to COVID even when they were losing. Its a fun place to see a game.
Padres are #1 in attendance as percentage of capacity this season.
That is surprising. Guess being the only major league sport in town has its perks.
You just make stuff up and then expect others to believe it.. According to Baseball Reference, these are the Top five teams in MLB attendance figures to date (through August 24, 2022):
Los Angeles Dodgers 2,941,025
Atlanta Braves 2,542,293
New York Yankees 2,497,941
St. Louis Cardinals 2,424,511
San Diego Padres 2,327,350
The Padres are only fifth because of all the Dodger fans who pack Petco each time the Dodgers play there.
San Diego’s biggest yearly event, Comic-Con, exists because people from Los Angeles are featured there and people from Los Angeles attend it.
Your football and basketball teams each moved to Los Angeles without even being invited. I guess they moved to Los Angeles because they love all that “danger.”
Your owner is the son and nephew of the former Dodgers owners. This is where he must have got at least some of the money he needed to buy your team.
Your Director of Player Personnel used to work for the Dodgers.
Your have three former Dodgers in your front office, A.J. Ellis, Hideo Nomo, and Chan Ho Park.
How many games back of the Dodgers are the mighty Padres? 19.5 last time I checked!
Will your team even make the Playoffs?
What part of “as a percentage of capacity” did you miss?
Padres are averaging 36,942 per game with a capacity of 42.445 – 87.1%
Dodgers are averaging 48,214 per game with a capacity of 56,000 – 86.0%
Those are the facts.
At least TRY to pay attention.
The Dodgers have been in town for 3 games this season. The typical cretins that make the trip down don’t make up even 1/10 of 1 percent of the fans that have attended Padres games.
BTW, Dodger fans make up 5% of all fans arrested at Petco each season in just 8-9 games the Dodgers play there.
Comic Con, which I have been a volunteer at for 32 years, had 135,000 attendees from 110 countries in 2019. Of the US counties, the largest number and percentage of attendees came from San Diego county.
Ryley Westman, the Padres Director of Player Development, is in his 8th year in the Padres organization. The only other team he has worked for is the Rangers.
Logan White, a Senior Advisor to the GM, is in his 11th year with the Padres. Prior to being with the Dodgers he was with the Mariners, Orioles, and Padres. He was with the Mariners, Orioles and PADRES before he was a Dodger scout.
Peter Seidler is not the owner, he is part of an ownership group. Until last season the majority owner was Ron Fowler, a San Diego business owner who is STILL a minority owner.
Chavez Latrine is the only MLB stadium in America with a jail that houses up to 40 people in two separate holding cells. Why? Because its needed for most games. Its also the only stadium in the nation that regularly cuts off beer sales in entire sections because of the rowdy fans. The Pavillion area didn’t even allow beer sales until 2021 after the renovations that opened the Centerfield Gate area with statues of Dodger greats. It was supposed to be in 2020, but obviously COVID happened.
Basically, all you have is hateful comments with no substance. I guess that hate you are exhibiting is part of the LA experience and hence the level of violence at Chavez Latrine.
Apparently he missed all of it.
Pittsburgh and Oakland should follow suit
Fisher’s not selling the A’s at least until Howard Terminal is a go. With the Nats and Angels setting a new price level and a fresh new ballpark under way, he’d get a LOT more for the team.
first off the Angels stadium is great and its location is excellent with kids having Disneyland, Convention Center and knotts a few miles away. It would have something if he could build around the stadium more of an experience.
He is selling team at a good time with having two big stars on the team too.
The stadium is build on cursed ground.
Send Ohtani to the Mets first
I’ll take him on the Mets lol
Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!! Dancing a jig and screaming with JOY!!
Is Moreno in any kind of legal trouble? This stadium deal that fell apart sounds excruciatingly sketchy. I really don’t know I’m just wondering about investigations.
I don’t think so. Maybe some of the public officials who messed up that deal.
New Stadiums and development projects take a long time to start and finish.
He is probably throwing in the towel since he has better things to do with his time and does not want to start over and flush away 5-7 years to start and complete a new deal. Maybe, he has better things to do with his time at this stage in his life
Damn, even Arte sees that team is a sinking ship
Its his fault the team is sinking. Read the rest of the comments.
He paid 185M for the team. He will sell for 2-3B.
So, he is making out way ahead of the game if he sells.
Biggest Angels news since Ohtani signed.
Almost gives me hope that Reinsdorf and his cronies could someday soon relinquish ownership of the White Sox. I am so sick of watching that team run do incompetently.
*so
I think JR has not only been damaging to the White Sox, he’s been damaging to MLB overall.
So when are the Fords selling the Lions?
As soon as the McCaskeys sell the Bears—when hell freezes over.
Tigers, Indians & Twins fans thank Reinsdorf!
How long is their lease? Hello Las Vegas Angels?
No team is moving from the 2nd largest TV market to the 40th largest. Money in baseball comes from TV contracts.
Sin City Angels has a pretty nice ring to it
Lease is for another 20+ years I think
Through 2029 according to the OC Register
Arte had a chance to end the lease in 2019, but chose not to. Now its through the 2029 season.
The worst part of that for the Angels is that in opting to continue the lease through 2029, Moreno gave up any right to buy it out and gave the city of Anahiem exclusive negotiating rights with the Angels for a new stadium through the end of the current lease.
In other words, they can’t move prior to the end of the 2029 season and Moreno locked the Angels into getting something done in Anaheim.
Where did you read that? I know that Arte chose not to opt out of the last 10 years of the lease, I didn’t know that the Angels were not allowed to negotiate with any other cities.
Wonder who might be interested
Balmer? Arod? Jeter? Kroenke?
The Angels draw too well in the Los Angeles area for them to ever be moved. MLB would not allow it. However, if the Angels ever did move out of the area, the Rays and/or A’s would try to replace them the next day, if not sooner.
Bye Bye Shohei!
Do the Rockies next.
Prediction: Angels fans will hate the new owner just as much when they see the significant reduction of payroll.
Don’t be foolish.
it’s far more likely that any new billionaire owners make a splash with their new team vs making payroll reductions.
The only way the team sees a significant payroll reduction is by getting rid of Rendon, Trout and Ohtani. I only see Ohtani being moved at this point.
No need. With only $133 million on the books for next season at this point and all the FA leaving the team being low – mid level players, there will be no problem for the new owners to stay under the luxury tax.
fair enough.
I can see Ohtani traded and Rendone attached to the deal.
Best deal would be with Dodgers.
The Angels would require a premium price for giving the Dodgers huge box
office draw Ohtani and sharing the S Cal Baseball territory with 10-12M fans.
And,3B Rendone would go back to the NL and be attached to the deal.
But, Angels would want and get the Dodgers top 5-6+ prospects in a deal
(like the Soto deal only more)..
To the Angels RHSP Miller, RHSP Pepiot, RHSP Stone; INF/OF Vargas, Busch, Pages, Lux maybe Cartaya
Dodgers would get their next Fernando mania guy
Angels would get an instant contender in the AL West with
that truckload of young talent added to Trout and the other players they have.
WIN/WIN DEAL FOR BOTH TEAMS AND SO CAL BASEBALL FANS,!!!
Dear Mr. Moreno: please buy the A’s
Next up, please be John Fisher
The scouting and development team needs some work especially in pitching. Since Mike Witt and Chuck Finley have they developed a solid starter? Before that probably have to go back to Andy Messersmith! The Angels pitching pipeline is broken, doesn’t matter who owns the team if they can’t develop pitchers.
Do you even follow the team? Currently, Sandoval and Detmers. Lackey? G Richards before injuries derailed his career. Weaver? No telling what Adenhart (RIP)could’ve been in the mound. Corbin was traded away.
I agree the scouting and player development is thin and needs attention and a better budget, better system, staffing, etc, but the team hasn’t gone since Witt, Finley in developing a solid starter.
Jerred weaver would like to have a word….
Lets see.. Jered Weaver, Nick Adenhart, Tyler Skaggs, K-Rod, Scot Shields,
I don’t think you can add Adenhart to a list of “solid starters” because he only pitched 4 games. Tragic ending for him, but that doesn’t change the facts.
And it could be argued that Skaggs was more a product of Arizona’s development also.
I think I clarified my Adenhart mention. And I only included him because he was well regarded prospect before tragedy struck.
I was replying to Kellin. I didn’t even notice your mention. Sorry for the confusion
John Lackey, Frankie Rodriguez, Jered Weaver, Troy Perceval, Scott Shields…
I remember when the team was horrible. It’s been bad for a few seasons, but at least we can look back at a memorable 2002 and the early 2000’s. Arte helped the Halos act like a big market team. I hope that ends up being his legacy that ultimately paves the way for decades of success. But that’s not our history.
Arte bought the team AFTER the 2002 WS win. For 13 of the 20 seasons he has owned the team we have watched teams that lost more than they won. That includes the last 7 in a row. Arte’s legacy will be one of a being a meddling loser.
Yes, I recall when he bought the team. I meant to say I hope his willingness to spend paves the way for new ownership who also likes to spend. In place of the alternative, prior to 2002.
This is the best sports news I’ve heard all year! As loyal fan of the Halos, I have felt that Moreno has been a huge impediment to the success of the team. Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Anthony Rendon contracts all pushed by Moreno have paralyzed the team for over a decade. Let’s not even talk about the immovable contract of Vernon Wells that Moreno was square in the middle of making happen. Will be so happy if a sale occurs.
Watch Scott Boras buy the Angels.
Then he can rip off himself.
Yes we will see how cheap he is when he is on the other side of negotiations.
Has a team and owner ever announced they were exploring a possible sale that didn’t eventually lead to an actual sale?
Looks like it will be time to get both Ohtani and Trout off the books before the new owner comes in, if they follow the Nats/Soto model. No guarantee they will.
Doubtful.
First order of biz, out John Carpino in a stockcade by the giat hats
@robm how do you get rid of trout if he doesn’t want to leave and has 10&5 rights?
They traded Soto because he rejected their offer of $400M
Moreno has been one of the worst owners in MLB. He had no desire to win, just a desire to make money for himself. The money he has spent has always been on the wrong side of the ball. Baseball success begins and ends with pitching first. But homeruns are exciting and put people in seats. So he spent way too much on declining stars. I hope this marks the end of that with a new owner who is focused on winning.
Arte said that position players put butts in the seats all week and pitchers only do every fifth game so he refused to allow his GMs to sign pitchers to long term deals. That is why we never saw a top pitcher sign with the Angels. Declining stars still put butts in the seats and sell advertising.
True, but you don’t need to sign $200m-plus pitchers to win in baseball. Most WS winners don’t do it with a FA Gerrit Cole at the top of the rotation.
Last 7 WS winners disagree with your statement. All of them brought in top notch pitching prior to winning it all. Most had two aces.
While not all signed those guys long term, they all had them and more than half were on long term deals either FA or acquired in trade.
He certainly has been able to make money for himself throughout his career. This will be his biggest score. He bought the Angels for approximately $180MM 19 years ago, while Forbes now values them at $2.2 billion. Wouldn’t shock me if that estimate turns out to be on the conservative side. No matter, he’ll clear an easy $2 billion, probably more. Not bad for a billboard salesman!
It worked. 184 million to 3-5 billion probably.
What’s a new owner going to do with this current payroll? The Angels are financially messed up for years to come!!
Nope. Angels go into next season with just $133 million on the books. That leaves about $100 million to spend while staying under the luxury tax.
Not really. Trout is still productive (when on the field), and while Rendon is an utter failure in the salary for the productivity department, he’s not a total deadbeat if healthy; he is vastly overpaid but not debilitating for a large market team.
Sadly, trading Ohtani is the key back to relevance for the Angels, and it needs to happen this off-season as priority number one. Ohtani can restock a farm system. The new ownership group will need to shop smartly but can afford a few guys making $10M+ following an Ohtano trade.
They’re not restocking the farm system for 1 single season of Ohtani- one of the reasons it was so stupid to decide not to trade him before the trade deadline.
They’ll be able to get significant prospects for him, even with only one year of control. The team receiving Shohei will try to sign him immediately following a trade.
Agree they would get a nice return, just incredibly stupid that they didn’t maximize it by trading him before the deadline at the latest and possibly before this season even began.
Not stupid Ohtani still has big value 5 top baseball prospects
The Dodgers would have to give up 5 of their top prospects
Yankees would have to give up 5 of there top prospects
Ohtani Isn’t a free agent until 2024
Huge difference in value in terms of having a player for 2 potential playoffs vs 1 potential playoffs. A lot of value was lost by not trading him and it would be surprising if a team would largely clean out their farm system (especially if they’re a well run team and especially if they have a good farm system) for 1 single playoffs chance with Ohtani. It’s probably a situation where they would have gotten something like 5 promising prospects for him if they had traded him at the right time whereas now it’s probably something like 3 promising prospects.
Yup. Rumor had it Dodgers were willing to part with May, Gonsolin and Vargas as part of the package deal. It would have been 6 or 7 players in total for Ohtani. That would have made them a playoff team in only a year or so.
Listen I love the optimism, but their farm system is no where near what it needs to be right now. Ohtani is almost guaranteed to walk after next season, so why not restock on MLB ready talent now while you can and build a legit franchise for the future. They have good young pitching but not enough depth and they do not have a dominant bullpen. Adel can hit but his defense is still below average at best. Marsh for O’Hoppe was a good move. They’re stuck with Rendon until it deep enough into the contract that they can DFA him.
Greg_winner
What is your source for that rumor? I do not believe that Dodgers would have offered Gonsolin, May, Vargas and three other players for Ohtani.
I agree that the Angels probably would have refused to trade Ohtani to the Dodgers, but I just don’t believe the Dodgers would make that deal – and certainly not without negotiating an extension beforehand.
I think the Dodgers would have offered Lux, Cartaya, Vargas, Busch, Miller, Grove and Pepiot. That would have been a win-win trade.
Moreno said why. He didn’t want to trade Ohtani while Trout was on the IL.
Angels farm system is ranked dead last in mid-season rankings
https://www.mlb.com/news/farm-system-rankings-2022-midseason?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
Trading Ohtani is not going to seriously impact that ranking. They will still be terrible. A new ownership would be smart to resign Ohtani asap to keep fans coming to the park and nothing Ohtani has said would indicate he wants to leave the Angels. Like all players, he wants to win.
that team, that market, this can only be a negative to the rangers. who also have a really impressive market and a really impressive farm that should outperform the angels for a few years, but a sale would definitely add another competitor to the division. we have nathaniel lowe and martin perez to celebrate. they have ohtani/trout, and ohtani. they also have absolute garbage on the books that the rangers don’t have, so theres that
Here’s to hoping that someone comes in that wants to restore the Angels to what they were.
None of this LA Angels business. No more backseat driving by the owners. I want to see OG Angels Baseball!
The LA name didn’t bother me as it did some, over it a loooong time ago. That being said if new owner changes it, I hope it’s back to California Angels, not Anaheim Angels.
Here comes Dean Spanos
Why hate the Angels, er, all of baseball, no, America so much?
#SpanosSucks
Spanos is in deep debt from the move to LA and may be forced to sell the Chargers. The Spanos family is in no position to buy any sports team.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/men-are-in-charge-and-women-should-shut-up-the-lawsuit-that-could-force-spanos-family-to-sell-the-chargers/2969362/
Been following that story and after what Dean Spanos did to the city of San Diego, I can’t help but root for his sister in this lawsuit.
If her allegations are upheld in court, Dean would be bankrupted personally even after the team is sold to cover the debts owed by the Spanos’ company and the charitable obligations of the Spanos Foundation.
Karma?
Vince McMahon just left the WWE!!! The timing couldn’t be more perfect!!!
Just what MLB needs after the Bauer debacle…another sexual deviant in LA.
Many people would pay to see Bauer in the WWE.
I know this makes a lot of Angels fans happy, however, this sale will be a hard one. It’s been widely speculated by other GM’s that Otani has zero chance of signing an extension there, Rendon is an albatross, and the potential of Trout’s lingering injury makes for an even larger albatross.
All in all, it’s looking like Arte is in the escape hatch ready to hit the eject button, leaving the Angels next owner to deal with the massive financial fallout. With a new owner, this could possibly take a long time to work out.
All that debt thats on the angels books from Angel free agent signings all that money will be deducted from the asking price Arte will be lucky to get $2 billion
Agreed. He stoll makes a large profit even at that.
$2.3-2.5b easy! All daaayyyyy!
Pujols stopped the PEDs once he got the big $$. And he was probably older than the record states, Oh, and the earth is flat.
Thank goodness!
There is more to the stadium fraud coming…you watch.
My thoughts exactly
New ownership should hire Danny Glover as manager, get Tony Danza to pitch and let Joseph Gordon-Levitt attend games. It could happen.
I think he fancied himself as a Jerry Jones of Major League Baseball…
Happy thoughts. I remember when Jones that the Cowboys had so much talent, that even he could coach them to a SB championship. Then got rid of Jimmy Johnson. and now has 27 years of not going to the SB.
I wonder if Elon Musk likes baseball?
The Mars Angels. I can see it now.
I was thinking the same thing. I may have to join Twitter just to tweet #BuyTheAngels!
Twitter users unite: Tweet Elon Musk #BuyTheAngels!
BTW, I indeed tweeted Elon Musk #BuyTheAngels. Ha.
Musk doesn’t have the liquid capital to buy the Angels. He is selling off TSLA stock in huge $6-9 billion chunks in order to satisfy the purchase of TWTR that the court will force him to complete. The reason is because he can’t get the loans.
I also doubt that MLB owners would accept someone as controversial as Musk at this point.
I think Angels fans would accept Musk though.
Disney purchase a natural. Change name to Anaheim Angels.
Hell no
Have to assume you’re being satirical.
You are being sarcastic, right?
The man spent money no doubt about it, and I appreciated his willingness do that, especially his first offseason as owner (Escobar, Guillen, Colon and Vlad). Granted a lot of it was misspent. Having lived through the last 80’s and 90’s as an Angels fans, 2002-2009 was certainly a welcome change. However, a lot of the players that made those years possible were drafted in the late 80’s and 90’s.
My question is why the farm system was so depleted despite changing general managers three times in the last ten years? Under Scouting Directors Bob Fontaine, Donny Rowland, and Eddie Bane, the Angels had excellent drafts and players who had very good careers. Since 2010, there have been very few good players coming up in the system. I like an owner that’s willing to spend money, but as Joe Maddon says, you have to have an infrastructure of talent coming up in the system. Hopefully the new owner recognizes this.
New owner may not matter. Mark Cuban is on record in saying that he was happy that he never bought a Major League Baseball Franchise. He said in the last year that the economics of the game are abysmal in his estimation. He does not think that is worth the aggravation to get into the sport now. If Cuban does not think that it would work, would any other new owner make it work any better?
gozurman1;
I believe Mr. Cuban is correct, and that most ownership groups are realizing it (see my comment below).
One other thing about this proposed sale……
As with the Nationals, being in a large affluent market may well hold down the sale price. Because those markets bring in more revenue, they are taxed for it via “revenue sharing”. And if they go over a Luxury Tax to sign players (which they have a better likelihood of affording) they’re not only fined for that, but they have penalties relating to draft choices and other options they can use to improve their rosters.
I’m all for the revenue sharing. A more level field is needs to be in place – no reason fans in the smaller markets should be watching and supporting feeder teams which develop ballplayers for the large market teams as was done for over 25 years. But that has to be factored into the sale price of a franchise.
Is that why the revenue of MLB and the price of baseball teams keeps going up so fast? Because “the economics of the game are abysmal”.?
i.e. Josh Hamilton, Justin Upton, Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Jr., Zack Cozart, and (to date) Anthony Rendon.
=========================================
Their first season with the Angels were at age 32, 29, 32, 32, 32, and 30. All this time, and with so many disasters, and the Angels still don’t realize that age matters.
Nearly every team signs or acquires players at age 29-32. Every team, every year going back decades. what’s you’re point?
So you’ve pointed out 5-6 disappointing player acquisitions, every team probably has at least 3-6 bad player acquisitions over the last 10 years too. Find a team that doesn’t.
The problem is not Moreno’s willing to spend, it’s how he spends it. Aging sluggers, patchwork pithing staffs, very little player developed and zero presence internationally is what has led the Angels to be mostly unwatchable for the last decade
@Rsox Yes, indeed. With GMs like Billy Eppler, you cannot succeed. $11m for a broken Matt Harvey? It’s unbelievable.
Let’s go Ballmer. New stadium. Back to the California Angels. New tv announcers.
You don’t like their stadium?
It’s old and dank. It’s a big concrete plastic mass surrounded by asphalt that on a hot day isn’t fun. It’s adjacent the the storm basin. They could build a retractable some for instance
I asked because I haven’t been there yet, but it looks pleasant enough on TV. Didn’t realize the other issues you mentioned.
CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST!!!!
Please please please please …
Dear Arte.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the good times. But unfortunately, they did not outweigh the bad times. You spent more than previous owners, and you were always an incredible gentleman each time I had the opportunity to meet you. You gave us fans so many thrills early in your ownership and kept Halo fans’ hopes up with the likes of big names to support. This fan appreciated the affordable beer prices early on. But like all good things, they, unfortunately, come to an end.
I agree. It’s the right time to sell. Many of us fans did not care for the name change or the different brand of baseball your leadership brought. This fan did not care for the proper lack of support of one of the greatest players of our generation. Sometimes it’s not all about analytics. Sometimes it’s just about hitting the ball to the right side with a runner on second. Bunting to move a runner. Leaving your “Alpha” starter in to finish an inning. Not waiting for the three-run homer but by manufacturing runs, not walking people, and making mind-numbing errors.
This team needs a baseball leader. I hope the Angels get an owner who knows and has studied the game.
Thank you, Arte, for all you’ve given us fans, but we agree it’s time to sell.
Sincerely,
Angels Die-hard
I think a move out of the Dodgers shadow should be part 1 of the New ownership. Maybe Sacramento or Vegas. Just get out of LA.
That was the case people would make against Dodgers when McCourt owned them. They are 40 miles from Dodger Stadium sharing one of the Top two markets in the country. Thus can be solved by better management
Anaheim isn’t in Los Angeles, It’s Orange County.
Oakland will probably beat any new owner to Vegas.
do it!!!
Two MLB franchises being sold in populous, wealthy areas.
The cost to run MLB baseball operations has skyrocketed – while payrolls are obviously out of hand, the cost of numerous coaches, technical equipment, countless analysts, highly paid technical support people, scouts and coaches being flown around the world looking for talent, even running baseball academy’s in foreign countries etc. is bad enough. Then add in that the larger fans bases get all upset if their teams are not contending each year even with expanded playoffs…..which is pretty much impossible.
More owners are going to realize what they’re sitting on, the short / intermediate term economic situation in this country, and the 24/7/365 job being an owner involves – along with the criticism and aggravation from politicians to agents to a bees nest of lawyers that inevitably fly to any pot of money.
This is called selling at the high, and I’d suspect more franchise owners will be doing this.
184M to maybe 3 billion. Yeah I’d have already sold. The costs though are a pittance…and are figured into franchise values. Very little labor in professional baseball makes great money.
We already see the Angelos family fighting over the Orioles and wanting them sold; the Ilitch family is not happy about the results of the years long rebuild; and I can’t believe the Steinbrenner family wouldn’t like Hal to cash in the Yankees to get their pot of riches. There are more of course.
Reinsdorf led group of investors selling WSox in near future would also make sense.
You’re up, Mike Lindell
Haha free pillows in every seat!
And pushing The Big Lineup.
Arte selling the team is a great first step. Step two is finding the right buyer and step three is investing in infrastructure so the Angels have a pipeline of cost-controlled talent bubbling up from their minor league system – scouting, drafting, coaching/development, analytics, etc.
After the past 14 years, there is a lot of tech and Wall St money out there looking for a home.
they need to start drafting the best prospects or ones with the highest upside. We haven’t had an ace or even an all star pitcher produced since Weaver!
I don’t disagree. Garrett Richards would have been an ace had it not been for injuries. And they traded Mike Clevinger and Patrick Corbin. I’m excited about Reid Detmers and Patrick Sandoval, especially Detmers who I think will be our team’s true ace since Weaver and Lackey. They have some intriguing arms down in the minors, especially with Sam Bachman, Ky Bush, Chase Silseth, Ben Joyce, Mason Albright,
I agree to some degree. However, it is still the last ranked system.
Bob Nutting should make an offer with all the money he’s saved over the years by not investing back into the Pirates
I feel same way. Whenever I make a 184M purchase, and see the value go to several billions. I sell. Stuff that pillow full of $100s and cry myself to sleep.
Do you guys think a new owner would “clean house” and want to cut payroll by trading Trout
Only a fool would do it!
Don’t do it, Arte! It will only strengthen the franchise!!
He bought it for 180+ million and now selling for potentially 2.2+ billion. Does it mean he’s making over 2 billion profit? No! Money depreciates & past money is no equal to present/future money. You put in 180mil into saving Acct & wait 20 years and see how much money you get out.
As an angels fan for last 20 years, I excitedly approve of a sell!
Edison. Let your property depreciate for tax purposes. But if you’re not making a killing on that 184M as a man who HAD 184m to purchase…you need to fire your financial people. Incredibly low operating costs compared to a lot of other businesses. That’s a MASSIVE gain over 20 years.
Disney lost Money, but Moreno will make a killing. It doesn’t mean the buyers of the team will make the same killing.
$184 million in 2004 is worth $288 million today. So that is still a $2 billion profit.
5 Year CD’s made 1.93% in 2004 and they have not risen since then. That is a much higher return than a savings account.
If he had invested $184 million in an S&P 500 index in 2004 it would be worth $487.6 million today if he did not reinvest the dividends. $772 million if he did.
That does not include any profits Moreno earned over those 20 years and the annual salary he paid himself.
I was just thinking the Angels turned into the Frank mccourt Dodger days. It was going to take this for the team to ever be competitive again. The team has had no loyalty to their players and I’m sure guys like Joe Maddon, Johnathon lucroy, Jose Iglesias, Albert pujols, Josh Hamilton, Justin Upton and every other player who signed one year deals to be cut 3/4 into the season are stoked to see this happen. Wishes have been answered!!
I hope whoever the new owner is, that they change it back to Anaheim Angels.
Not me. I hope they stick with LA Angels as this was their original name and the more they keep flip flopping between names, the more they open themselves up for ridicule about their lack of identity. The only name change that I would welcome is the California Angels, which became their name after leaving LA to OC in the mid-1960s.
They’d be the California Angels to whatever aging fan base actually keeps paying baseball bills.
I’d be surprised if they stayed in Anaheim. There isn’t anything keeping the team here.
Curious, where would they go? What I’m asking is do you think they’d leave the state, or move closer toward LA? Could they even do that? Do the Dodgers have territory rights?
I think they would stay in So Cal. There is nothing to keep them in Anaheim.
The Dodgers have to right to block a move anywhere in the market area. The Angels blocked the Dodgers moving their A ball team to the San Fernando valley. You can be sure the Dodgers would block the Angels moving any closer to Chavez Latrine.
I can think of a few things.
A lease through 2029.
A loyal fan base that puts 3 million people in the stands every year.
A #2 TV market in the nation and top 5 TV deal.
It doesn’t have to be in Anaheim.
They will have all those benefits moving to a city near Anaheim, and they’ll have a modern stadium.
Lease through 2029 season that they cannot buyout. Moreno made sure of that when he failed to opt out in 2019. What part of that do you not understand?
Remember when Artie hired Joe Madden to get that winning to begin.
It’s so sad the vision Moreno had for the franchise, and team legacy, and the future ballpark area. He messed everything up by thinking too much 90’s baseball mentality. Big names, big bucks!! Sure, a big name is good for the fan base and team, but what should have been done since day one was investigating millions of dollars into player development, scouting national, and international, , nutrition, etc.
But, it’s not all bad some of things he did. He just liked being flashy too much.
This is the greatest thing since sliced bread!!
A commenter by the name of Michael posted the following on The Athletic.
“If history is any indicator, Arte will have the two best investment bankers in the world but still fail to complete the sale.”
Well played, Michael. Well played.
Arte Moreno is tired of paying players to come to his franchise for an early retirement on his dime. I don’t blame him for wanting to sell. Rendon, Upton, Fowler, Pujols, Cozart, Hamilton, even Joe Madden all came to the Angels to get paid and take it easy. Now you can say that it has something to do with LA being such a take-it easy attitude destination but, it seems that when players go to the Dodgers, they exceed their expectations. Moreno has signed too many dogs, thats the problem
Kind of his own fault for either overriding his baseball people, or making poor judgements himself.
Good! Get the f out Arte!
I don’t believe Arte is a bad owner, but he’s also not a good owner. He’s not trying to maximize talent to win. His view that star position players put butts in the seats is T wrong, but winning and deep playoff runs put even more butts in seats. He could have had his cake and eat it too.
There’s nothing worse than a bad owner. A bad team can be rebuilt. A bad manager fired. A bad GM replaced. A bad owner? You’re stuck! As I noted, I don’t believe Arte was bad, he just wasn’t good enough.
i like to disagree and here is why, (btw i’m not an al fan much less a west coast fan but here’s my 2 cents) i think early on artie was a good owner, they just come off a ws good team and system, but theo’ed the team early on by trading his farm and then trying to compensate by buying players from ws winners, heck in 11 he made stupid deals for cj wilson, jh, and #5 right after the 11 ws. i applaud the effort of arte willing to spend, but where he failed is having a self imposed cap but overruling his bb people by making flashy moves and eating up most of the cap imposed and now the gm is scrambling to fill in the other 22 guys on the roster, with no real farm and 10mil left to improve the team after blowing 3/4 of your budget on one player. overall i rate arte as a poor owner maybe his heart was in the right place but was to much of a fan and got caught up into what we argue as fans on this site and tried to play fantasy bb but as an owner
I don’t disagree. I was trying to give credit to Moreno for being a fan and spending money to attempt to win and have star players on the field. That’s the good. The bad is he didn’t properly utilize the resources. He sees the landscape in front of him, perhaps even recognizing his own limitations now in fixing that landscape. He’ll leave with a $2B profit and the next owners will almost assuredly be better positioned to fix the Angels.
Anaheim Amazons.
I have just three words:
About. Damn. Time!
LETS GO BASEBALL
Another team for sale. They’re having a fire sale. Let’s get those franchise prices down.
It’s been pump n dump for a couple decades now.
Whoever the next owner is please go straight the Dodger organization and try to hire away as many people as possible from the scouting and analytics department. They have been in the playoffs for nine straight season (going on 10) and have the 2nd ranked minor league system. The Halos are dead last and haven’t seen the playoffs in 7 seasons.
Yippee. Sell it to Derek Jeter.
Just goes to show you that winning a WS Title is not as easy as just throwing a bunch of money at it. I still think it’s the toughest sport to consistently win championships in.
As a lifelong Angel fan I was initially elated to hear this news. Some will say we could have a worse owner than Moreno, and that is true. But one of the things that’s driven me nuts about Arte is we’ve been pretty close to being competitive quite a few times….but he would really never go over the luxury tax, never allow that one or two extra signings, would never invest where it counts, and just never would do what it took even though we were so close. I know we’ve had some bad luck as well, but I have to feel that if we had an owner that really wanted to try and win, it would’ve happened. Maybe we wouldn’t have won the WS, but we probably could’ve been competitive and in the playoffs. I am a bit concerned though, and I have this bad feeling that the sale of the Angels might just take them from Anaheim. I REALLY hope that’s not the case. It would just kill me if it did.
Yes!!! This is the best news Angels fans have received in a long time!
All jokes aside, the Angels need a owner that loves the Grand Ole game of baseball. He will be back by very intelligent investors that care and love the city in which they represent. Unfortunately that has not happened with the current owner. He drove this once very proud franchise into the ground, spending like a kid in a candy store. The team deserves to have an owner(s) who are passionate fans as well. For sale: Immediately.
I have not felt this much excitement since 2004. To quote Kurt Warner- Thank you Jesus!
There is nothing keeping the team in Anaheim. Sell the team to someone that can get a stadium deal elsewhere.
Irvine’s Great Park still has a lot of empty lands!
Anaheim has told the team to screw themselves. I hope the new owner keeps the team in So Cal, but I’d bet against the team staying in Anaheim.
Nashville Angels
There is still a big TV deal. So cal makes sense
But there is no reason to stay in Anaheim.
Nashville may be growing but still has only 1 million possible tv viewers. Another possibility may be Inglewood. Make it a true 3 major sports site.
If Nashville can support an NFL team, an NHL team, and an MLS team, it can support an MLB team. It’s already in the works thanks to Dave Dombrowski, et al:
https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2022/08/02/music-city-baseball-focuses-on-tsu.html#:~:text=Music%20City%20baseball's%20current%20goal,first%20potential%20season%20in%202027.
Football shares massive TV revenue. Apples and Oranges.
The O.C. Angels
7 years left on the lease. Loyal fan base. 3 million tickets sold every year. 2nd largest TV market.
From other comments it looks like they have a lease through 2029 and they can’t buy it out. I don’t know for sure, but I am sure you can look it up.
Sat next to 4 Angels/Dodger fans in Milwaukee last Thursday. They all agreed that the Angels primary problem is their bad trades where the waste a lot of money. While the Dodgers spend a lot of money, they have a lot of sucess!
The Dodgers did waste a lot of money. Many acquisitions didn’t work out. But they kept their young talent during the process and invested heavily in all facets of the operation such as scouting, facilities, etc. That’s why they are now one of the best teams in baseball and have a huge following.
I don’t view it as wasting money. They know there’s a bust factor. They build it into their planning.
TO SBC:You make a lot of sense!
PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE.
Seems too good to be true! This baseball rabid community needs ownership that cares about the city and regaining fan loyalty. Fingers crossed.
There is going to be a lot of over the age of 30 free agent players who are going to miss Arte to negotiate long term contracts with once Arte sells the team.
He picked a lot of bad GMs and approved a lot of terrible contracts. He does get a top grade for effort to win.
Steve Ballmer has 20-30B lying around burning holes in his pockets.
Maybe, Balmer could own the Clippers and the Angels?!
The Angels should find a well funded ownership group and then take a broom to the Front Office and rebuild the system from top to bottom.
I could see The Angels making some very smart blockbuster deals:
trading Trout and Ohtani, in separate deals,
and getting Juan Soto returns (5 or 6 for 1 or 2)
in both deals. (12-14 players back in 2 deals that will help set them up for a bright future.
Angels could restock the team and farm with those 2 deals, better drafts and be
serious perennial contenders by ’24-’25
The only person I would keep is Matt Wise.
They were the California Angels when I was a kid.What was wrong with that?
Because there are MLB teams in LA, SF, SD, and Oakland?
They were the Los Angeles Angels when I was a kid.
And there is nothing wrong with the California Angels or Texas Rangers.
Will the periwinkle pinstripes make a comeback?
There is also the New York Yankees and New York Mets. They wisely embrace their state as much as their city when marketing.
For the betterment of MLB, Arte should sell. The Angels should go back to the Anaheim or California name. The new owner should trade Trout and Ohtani and get a boatload of talent or else they won’t be playoff bound for another decade. It would be great for baseball to see Trout in the playoffs.
Sell the team to mike trout
Well… pretty good ROI for the purchase at least lol.
They are moving.
Vegas Nashville Montreal
Wonder what you think about Utah
I think besides Salt Lake City being a smaller market than Vegas, that with the Great Salt Lake drying up and blowing arsenic dust around that it would probably be a bad idea.
I hear the best plan they have to deal with that is spending tens of billions on interstate water pipelines and desalinization plants.
SLC is a much larger TV market than Las Vegas. 30th to Lost Wages 40th and about 200k more TV homes. The Salt Lake metro area has a population of 2.7 million while the Las Vegas metro area has 2.2 million.
They are not moving. LA is #2 TV market and they draw 3 million fans per year.
No one is moving to Las Vegas because its a tiny TV market. Montreal is a possibility if they can ever build a new stadium. You think its hard in Oakland? Try Montreal.
Nashville will likely get an expansion team at some point soon. It just makes sense.
Why would they stay in Anaheim? Anaheim is not the only place to play near Orange County.
There are other places they can play. Anaheim is not going to give them a favorable stadium deal.
Will anyplace in California give a team a “favorable stadium deal”. A while back (2004?) the Padres had a terrible time getting their new ballpark built. The Giants 100% privately funded theirs back in 2000 I think. Oakland has taken more than a decade to get to the point where they got theirs approved and its mostly privately funded. Has anything that was mostly publicly funded gotten done in that state?
Moreno = Wilpons… Dumb owners but damn good businessmen. Look at what was paid and what was/will be sold for. Turned into billionaires while being incompetent.
I’ve got a little extra cash layin around, and I could move some money around… anyone else in?
I can drop $15-16 million into the pot. Just need another $2.5 billion to make it a reality.
Ok. Now we are talking. I can scrape together $2 million, maybe $3 million. But then we still need $2.5 billion more.
Get like 5 of those big contract active players. Couldn’t they buy the team off or it’s against the rules or simply get denied by other owners?
As a long time Angels fan this news is somewhat bittersweet. Ive been following the Angels since 72. Been thru all the ownerships.
I actually wouldn’t mind if Disney resurfaced and bought the team.
They actually had a FO that knew how to run a team.
When Arte bought the team he made a big splash for the 2004 season and sign Colon,Guillen, Escobar and Vlad Guerrero. And a few years later Pujols and Wilson.
Arte wasn’t afraid to spend $$. but he didn’t invest in scouting and didn’t try signing players from other countries.
Trout landed in his lap and Ohtani chose the Angels. The Angels tried to sign pitchers but they opted for other teams. Arte tried to build a bigger better Big-A. But the City of Tustin didn’t want to supply the land or help finance a new ballpark.
Arte turned his attention back to the City of Anaheim and that turned into a clusterf*ck of a disaster.
Arte tried and tried. But he’s not getting any younger. I thank Arte for trying.
Hopefully the sale process doesn’t take too long so the new owners can have time to try and sign Ohtani. And hopefully the team is better in 2023.
I really prefer LA Angels as the name. If not LA maybe Anaheim. It will bring more revenue. California Angels is just not marketable.
I like to see the new owners bring back the Angels uniform from the early 60’s
Build a new ballpark somewhere in Anaheim. If not Anaheim maybe Irvine.
Patch up things with Rod Carew. Arte won’t allow Carew into Angel Stadium.
Operate the front office better like the Tampa Bay Rays and Dodgers do. Hire good scouts.
Have past Angel greats involved with the team. And above all get Mike Trout in to the post season.
Let’s not forget old man Dolan is about to hand off the Guardians to Davey Blitz Blitz
Time for Saudi Arabia or Qatar to own a baseball team.
Terrible idea
I don’t know, although they would be experts at putting some IED’s at home plate in case the game is close.
If he sells the team does that mean when he leaves he’s gonna take all the horrible draft picks and free agent signings that they’ve made under his watch with him? It’s gonna take this team years to dig out of the muck they’re currently in, they should have traded Ohtani when they had the chance because next year is his last on that team so the asking price will drop I’m sure. Obviously Trout and his contract along with his propensity to miss chunks of time are untradeable except to maybe the Yankees or Mets. The Mets would probably be more inclined to do it because well they’re the Mets and everyone knows the Mets love to Met.
Sports ownership can be part heart, but it’s mostly business. If he’s turning over his ownership for more than 12 times his purchase price, that’s pretty darn good. And for Angels fans, at least they knew they had an owner willing to spend for players. That it didn’t work out most of the time was unfortunate. Franchise values will continue to rise. because baseball provides more than gate receipts but multiple streams of revenue and great tax benefits. That’s on top of public freebies given by politicians. The gloom and doom is unjustified,
Baseball also provides seven months of daily content, and content is king. Networks and streaming platforms will pay huge dollars for that. Franchise values will continue to rise accordingly.
Hopefully new ownership will appreciate the multiple lines of revenue Shohei brings in besides being one of the most exciting players ever to play the game.
SAYING IT HERE FIRST:
Donald Trump to buy the Angels!
**Dislike comment (since there is no dislike button)
Except he would rename them the Trump Trumps.. Their colors would change to gold with gold bats, balls and gloves. Make the Angels Great Again!
I think the league would first have questions about his financing and ability to pay off debts.
With what? He is in debt up to his eyeballs and likely to end up in prison for espionage.
I think that both the Nats and the Angels should become publicly traded teams on the NYSE. Why the hell I can buy shares of Manchester United but not a MLB,NFL, or NBA team directly (you can buy shares of the groups that controls these teams and indirectly share in their success I’m talking outright ownership like with Manchester United). Appoint CEOs that run the day to day, current ownership can be chairman of the board for having the most shares. CEO is responsible to the board and shareholders at large. The GM gets a budget for baseball operations from the CEO and board. The CEO also runs the non-baseball operations of the team directly. It would force the teams to have positive cash flow and yet be competitive.
kingbum;
You’re not far off.
The Dodgers franchise is setting the trend, although it’s held privately. Professional sports franchises are too much for any one person or family to run. The laws, the bylaws, the unions, the players agents, the players demands, the endless negotiating and marketing, blah blah blah.
What’s funniest is that it’s now totally entertainment – 95% of fans know next to nothing about how to play the sports (few have since America became a spectator as opposed to a participant nation), but all have opinions. Pro sports are (and have been for at least 15 years) the ultimate reality show.
As for “being competitive” while having a “positive cash flow” – LOL – explain how that can be done with 30 teams. Even if you had a 15 division league with 2 teams in each division, some of those teams wouldn’t be competitive, and their fans wouldn’t spend enough (or watch them on TV enough) to have a positive cash flow.
I think the model of the European soccer clubs being publicly traded like the Manchester United is the proper one. Like I can buy shares of Madison Square Garden but not the Knicks? That is ridiculous but true. These teams budgets and payrolls are that of small-cap companies on the stock exchange. The money players and agents want is there, but only if they become publicly traded. You can afford a stadium or increased payroll through dilution of a team’s shares. Shareholders can also demand the team be cash flow positive and shrink payroll. This just seems to be the best way to go instead of looking for another billionaire to buy you out.
About “cash flow positive”…..
Do you know that all public companies do not show that each year? Have you ever read a financial report?
Don’t know what site you use to get your info but tradingview.com most definitely tells you whether a company is cash flow positive if it is publicly traded.
So what’s the legit short list of potential buyers??
Who missed out on the Mets purchase ? They would likely be in the running right?
What was the other last MLB team sold? Hmmm.
Everyone says Steve Ballmer, not sure on him, is he looking to acquire MLB team?
Any other local buyers?
(roots in SoCal or CA in general)
Who would be the WORST buyer options? Least likely fans would want as owners? (Think: McCourt, Kim Kardashian lol , etc.)
Probably a few in the tech industry.
This story still hot! WOW! Shows how much BB means to So CAL!
Wouldn’t it be best if someone local bought the team? Mickey Mouse has been in films for ages. He must be loaded.
For the love of God, Thank you! As someone who has illogically continued to follow this Team with Heart and Sole for 52 years thank you, thank you, thank you! My vote would be the “California Angels”.
So when you started following the team their name was California Angels, and you identify with that.
I moved to California in 1960, Chavez Ravine was 15 minutes away from my house. I identify with the Los Angels Angels.
There are people who identify with the Anaheim Angels.
I think no one identifies with the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim.
Dang that’s crazy!
Joe e golla
Even Disney – Disneyland advertises that they’re in Los Angeles. Where’s the Disney fan whinnying about that one?!
New Ownership will continue the LA connection.
They would be idiots to try to get all their revenues from Orange County
and conceded (7) millions of fans in LA County, the 2nd biggest TV market in the country.
I’m all about roots:
Los Angeles Angels
Brooklyn Dodgers
Move them to Austin. Get on it Musk!
Angel fans survived what I thought would be the low point for this franchise in the 1970s. The 80s were a bizarre roller coaster until mid to late in the decade when things were bleak again.
I swore after casting off Nolan Ryan that i’d give up on this team. Wish i’d never came back. I stayed away until this dude named Salmon came along and caught my interest again. It took some time but prospect after POSITION prospect came up and eventually this team became a perennial winner under Scioscia.
Everybody blamed Scioscia towards the end. It started before, but things have really fallen apart since he left. The employees are not treated the best or happy, the alumni players are not happy about letting Joe Maddon go or the timimg of it days before the 2002 championship anniversary celebration. Minasian has few friends in Anaheim, he’s next to go!
Arte lost his patience and his class. He used to treat especially the alumni so well.
To me THIS is the lowest point in franchise history.
Arte is generally a good guy.
His kids went to school with my brothers kids.
Arte is a super fan who wants to win so badly that he makes impulse buys
and decisions that were not good long term for the team(Rendone, Pujols etc).
Arte was very successful in his core businesses and that is how he was able to purchase the team.
Arte, in the case of the Angels, never learned to hire the best Front Office Pres of Baseball Ops and let his trusted hire make all the baseball decisions.
He could have had Dombrowski.
He could have had Epstein
He could have had others if he would have learned to trust his baseball guys
and learned to delegate a big chunk of authority and decision-making to them.
Sure owners are signing the big checks, but if they stay in the baseball kitchen and micromanage, then the top guys won’t work for them and if they do,
they may be unknowingly sabotaging the operation since
the baseball guys know more about building a team than the successful businessmen owners.
Who ever buys the Angels should hire Scioscia as the team President. And makeErstad the manager and Lackey the PC
They need to shoot for Epstein or the next up and coming Dombrowski or Epstein type POB Ops.
Not sure Scioscia is that guy.
Scioscia should be a Front Office consultant or Manager to the new POB Ops.
And, new ownership will be spending over 2B to buy the team so they will
want a seasoned, crackerjack baseball guy to build the best organization possible.,
Maybe John Henry will follow suit and sell the Red Sox.
Here’s someone that very few are discussing as the new owner, and it makes perfect sense: Stan Kroenke.
Kroenke would be allowed to own the Angels if they played in the City of Los Angeles according to NFL rule changes enacted in 1997. Kroenke is buying land in Woodland Hills, and while it is thought this is for the Rams new practice facility, there has been no official announcement. The very same land was looked at by the Dodgers when they thought about moving their A Ball team from Rancho Cucamonga to the San Fernando Valley. Arte Moreno vetoed that plan.
It is a former large shopping mall, and Kroenke has also recently purchased other parcels around it. No Los Angeles team currently calls the San Fernando Valley home even though it is a large portion of the City of Los Angeles.
Kroenke tried to buy the Dodgers back when Guggenheim won the bidding. Had Kroenke won the Dodgers, SoFi Stadium would be in the Dodger Stadium parking lot and not in Inglewood.
My very first ballgame was at Anaheim Stadium when the Big A was still the scoreboard, and not marooned out in the parking lot. I still have fond memories of all of the games I’ve attended there since, but I now think the Anaheim Stadium land is destined to become a third amusement park for Disney.
The Long Beach parcel is said to be really tight for an MLB stadium, but a brand new stadium in Woodland Hills would have more area for Kroenke to build a second SoFi-type stadium, this time for baseball, plus offices, retail, and residential buildings.
If Kroenke loses the bid, he can still build the Rams practice facility on the land.
Kroenke, or a member of his immediate family, currently owns the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Colorado Rapids. He is only missing an MLB team to have a club in all five major North American leagues.
The Dodgers might not like it, but it still could happen.
Kroneke is married to one of Sam Walton’s daughter’s heiress to the WalMart fortune. She is worth 10B-20B
Stan is worth another 10B.
So, money would be no problem for Kroenke to purchase the Angels and build them a new stadium.
Ann Walton Kroenke owns the Denver Nuggets of the NBA and Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. Wikipedia.
I would throw retired Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer’s hat into the ring also.
He currently owns the LA Clippers.
He is worth at least 20B.
There are also some Hollywood types who have tons of money to play around with.
The Angels will attract a long line of potential buyers.
It is a billionaire’s toy or hobby to own one or more sports teams.
Correction. Ann is one of the nieces of the founder of Wal Mart. Her father (founder’s brother had stock). She and her sister inherited stock.
She is worth only about 10B.
The sons, daughters and widow of the founder are worth something like 40B each..
The Angels are to expensive to go to one private owner. They’ll be sold to group of owners with a principal owner.
I have a feeling the Angels will be worse off.
LA has many billionaires who could by the Angels, build them a new stadium and not break a sweat. They could all pay cash, but they will finance it.
They will use “other peoples money” and pay if off with team profits/revenues.
Finally getting rid of an owner who never hardly ever signed big time Pitchers. The Angels will win once Moreno is out of the way. You can’t win with hitting only.
You win with Pitching and Defense. Good luck Angels fans.
No, he did try to get top starting pitching they just wanted to play elsewhere. The Angels’ problems are in the minor leagues in player development, but, yes, we didn’t need all of those bad signings.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that the Angels potentially contenders next year. Looking at WAR totals (https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/team_compare.cgi), they are only -3.9 WAR, much lower than their W-L would suggest– they have lost a lot of close games, and the replacement of Maddon was probably a big intangible.
Breaking it down:
–they have one of the best rotations in baseball. That was their biggest need going into this season. And they have several cost-controlled starters (Sandoval, Detmers, Suarez, Davidson, CRod) in addition to Ohtani
–Their bullpen has been terrible, despite buying expensive and previously successful arms. That was plain bad luck.. I would hope they would be able to improve here without massive investments.
–their offense has been very bad. Obviously, the big thing is to have Trout, Ohtani and Rendon in the lineup as much as possible. Several hitters under-performed: Walsh, Stassi. But there were a few bright spots: Rengifo, Ward. Adell is indeed a disappointment, but maybe either he or Moniak can become productive next season.
–what do the Angels need? A SS, a second Catcher (not sure how close the new prospect is), potentially 1B if Walsh can’t turn it around, and a vastly improved bullpen, And a lot of luck. it seems doable.
Wow, someone made a new handle and went off topic to make a “This team isn’t as bad as it’s record” rant. We’ve been hearing Moreno apologists make that argument for a very long time. After 130 games (a pretty good sample), the team has a .435 record and are 27 games back. The team hasn’t won a playoff game in 12 years.
Angels rotation was 5th best in the AL and 10th best in MLB according to ERA, 6th and 12th in FIP. Good, but not one of the best. They need at least one TOR starter to pair with Ohtani. The bullpen was awful. 11th in ERA and 14th in FIP, in the AL. Not sure I would say that a league average Rengifo was a bright spot. Trout, Ward, and Ohtani were our only bright spots on offense and only Ohtani has stayed healthy. The Angels realistically need help at 1B unless Walsh comes back healthy in 2023, 2B, SS, LF, catcher, bullpen, and at least one TOR starter.