Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looks on as owner Arte Moreno talks during a press conference at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on March 24, 2019. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim?) are changing hands in the most expensive team sale in MLB history, according to reports this week. Pending MLB approval, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has agreed to purchase a controlling stake in the franchise from longtime owner Arte Moreno at a $4 billion (!) valuation, with the deal expected to close in early 2027.
Assuming all goes through as planned, the deal will end Moreno’s stint as primary owner of the Halos — he’ll still retain a small share of the team afterward — and with it, one of the most frustrating and confusing eras of any team in baseball history. In a huge media market, with generational stars and mostly high payrolls, Moreno’s Angels should have been a perennial contender over the past few decades — but instead, they have MLB’s longest current postseason drought (11 years) and they’ve won zero playoff games since the dawn of the 2010s.
How is that even possible? In large part, it happened because Moreno’s legacy is of an owner who supplied the resources of a contender without ever building the infrastructure or decision-making process to match.