Earlier this week, Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno decided not to sell the team after ending the “exploratory process” Moreno and his family were undergoing as part of a potential transaction.
Back in August, Moreno’s sale of the franchise seemed almost certain, with the owner even saying, “now is the time,” as part of his statement:
Moreno reportedly received multiple bids worth north of $2.5 billion, which would have broken the MLB record for a franchise sale price (Mets in 2020). Nonetheless, Moreno had a shocking “change of heart” (??) and decided to retain control of the Angels instead.
It felt like everyone – media, fans, employees, etc. – expected the Angels to be sold. Did Moreno really just have a “change of heart” out of the blue and decide to keep the team?
In my opinion (for the little that it’s worth), there’s clearly more going on here. Given Angels news in the buildup to Moreno’s decision to sell and then back off that sale, here are three factors that may have swayed Moreno to remain.
The Roster
With the Angels, the first thing that immediately jumps out is that they have two generational talents on the roster. Mike Trout has been the best player in the league for the better part of the last decade, and Shohei Ohtani is one of the favorites to take that mantle next.
Now that Moreno is staying on board, his first order of business is likely Ohtani’s contract, which needs renewing. Allowing Ohtani to leave in free agency or in a trade would be a PR nightmare for the franchise. Fumbling the career of one all-time great is bad enough, but doing it twice in that tight of a span? Pretty inexcusable.
Moreno simply must fork over whatever it takes to keep Ohtani in Orange County. Whatever he wants. His presence on the roster brings so much value to the team even if they underperform year after year… after year. More on that later.
With the profile of players the Angels have at the top end, they are (theoretically) only a few additions away from having a competitive team. It doesn’t help that three other teams in their division are also trying to win now (Houston and Seattle figure to be pretty successful at it), but the potential will always be there with Trout and Ohtani in tow.
The Stadium
Moreno worked really hard over the last year or so to buy Angel Stadium from the city of Anaheim, and at one point, he even had to acquire the stadium and surrounding parking lots for $320 million.
However, the deal was voided after ex-mayor Harry Sidhu became the subject of an FBI investigation into his dealings with the Angels. Supposedly, the Angels promised Sidhu a $1 million contribution to his reelection campaign in return for quick completion of the stadium sale. After the investigation was revealed, the deal fell apart.
How bizarre is that?
It had to have been discouraging to see that kind of deal fall through, especially with all the plans Moreno had for the area. On top of a complete stadium renovation or rebuild, Moreno planned an ambitious mixed-use project on land surrounding the ballpark. Of course, that is all scrapped as of now, which would help explain why Moreno ultimately wanted to cash out.
I can’t help but wonder if Anaheim has come back to the negotiating table, giving Moreno ample reason to keep the team instead. The city kept the possibilities pretty open when Moreno announced he wasn’t going anywhere:
If Moreno once again has a chance to acquire the stadium, renovate it to his liking or rebuild it completely, and build his dream commercial project, then it isn’t surprising at all that Moreno is staying put.
Watch this space.
The Market
This factor might be a bit of a stretch or just pure speculation, but it is interesting to consider nonetheless.
Obviously, the Los Angeles area carries a ton of value for sports and entertainment entities, and the Angels’ current proximity to Disney and other top-tier properties certainly boosts value as well.
Additionally, being on the west coast is a big draw to international fans, particularly those in Asia. With Ohtani on the roster, the international market share from the Ohtani-LA combo is easily worth the hefty price of his new contract.
That large market share begins to work against the city of Anaheim when negotiating with the Angels because other municipalities in the area can offer Moreno exactly what he wants. The sharks smell blood and start to circle.
Enter Long Beach.
The coastline city has never hidden its desire to bring in the Angels and help build them a brand new ballpark. It has the land available, the political support necessary, and its own airport for easy in-and-out transport. What’s not to like about that deal?
It’s 100-percent just my brain considering the possibilities, but I really do wonder if Long Beach came in and gave Moreno something to really think about. A brand new stadium slightly closer to downtown LA (depending on traffic) certainly wouldn’t hurt business.
Or, just as a possibility: Could there be another, unidentified shark circling? Who knows, but we know for sure that the Angels have at least one viable and intriguing way out of Anaheim if Moreno wanted it.
A lot of this is just speculation and fun rambling, but one thing’s for sure: I would not want to be in Arte Moreno’s seat right now. He’s got to solve the short-term and serious questions about the team itself, which has always fielded massive talent but hasn’t won anything.
That’s probably an understatement. Mike Trout has only played in three playoff games in his career, and he’s lost all three of them. Sheesh.
And then Moreno has to reconcile the long-term concerns about Angel Stadium. It is dilapidating by the day, and a renovation, reconstruction, or complete relocation is likely on the cards soon. There’s a lot to handle there these days, and I don’t really blame Arte for wanting to pass that buck onto someone else.
Follow Nick Hedges on Twitter @nicktrimshedges or Instagram @nicktrimshedges