Early Tuesday morning, Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken started getting a slew of calls and texts \u2014 rumors were swirling about a potential landmark day in her hometown.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until a few hours later that the news became official. Arte Moreno, the Angels\u2019 beleaguered owner, with whom Aitken had sparred on numerous issues and occasions, was selling the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like it\u2019s my birthday,\u201d Aitken said \u2014 with an audible laugh \u2014 during an interview with The Athletic. \u201cAs a diehard Angels fan my entire life, I am so optimistic about the future of Anaheim Angels baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s relationship with the team has been rocky in recent years, but now the sale offers Aitken renewed hope for a massive land deal between the city and the team, and the potential that the club might return to using the name of its actual home city, Anaheim, instead of nearby Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
The strain between city and club began in 2022, when a land deal between two parties for the Angels to purchase the stadium and surrounding property fell through amid a scandal. Former mayor Harry Sidhu went to prison<\/a> on corruption charges, and the two parties never re-engaged on talks. Anaheim owns the stadium, which the team has leased through 2032.<\/p>\n Before last season, Aitken penned an open letter<\/a> to the Angels, pleading for a better partnership, a name change, and more access to inspect the stadium. The request seemingly fell on deaf ears. Aitken is hopeful that the team\u2019s sale will open a path to a new land deal with incoming owner Stan Kroenke.<\/p>\n \u201cNot to put the cart ahead of the horse,\u201d Aitken said, \u201cbut if the deal goes through, and if it\u2019s approved by Major League Baseball, then I\u2019m very hopeful that he\u2019s going to want to work with the city to come up with a really innovative development plan that would benefit the residents. Youth sports fields and housing, and potentially hotel development. And make it a vibrant place.\u201d<\/p>\n The land deal brings significant implications for the team and its future in Anaheim. While the Anaheim Ducks, located a stone\u2019s throw from Angel Stadium<\/a>, are in the midst of a massive refurbishment project, the area surrounding the baseball stadium is largely dormant. If the team were to own the land, it would create incentives to upgrade the ballpark and the surrounding area.<\/p>\n