Angels News: Arte Moreno May Be Halos Own Worst Enemy At Times

He's been the common denominator.

Despite landing two of the game's greatest players in history in the past decade simultaneously, the Angels have consistently failed to make a contender out of their team's talented duo. 

Part of this reason may not be in the managerial ranks nor the front office, but with ownership, as Arte Moreno has been the common factor linking all of this mediocrity together over this time period. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez discussed why Moreno may truly be to blame:

"...He has been criticized for continually cutting costs in many of the behind-the-scenes aspects that would help maximize expensive rosters, from analytics to training resources to staffing hires -- an approach one former pitcher described as "buying a McLaren and taking it to Jiffy Lube."

via Alden Gonzalez, ESPN.com

Such a cheap approach to running a team hasn't just been noticed by players, but those in close quarters with the 77-year-old owner.

"The big concern is with Arte and not knowing what they're doing at the top," a person close to the team said. "Is this a year-by-year thing? Is it five years? That's the No. 1 concern right there."



via Alden Gonzalez, ESPN.com

With 2023 marking the team's first time going over the luxury tax in the Moreno tenure, it may be too late as it seems as if Shohei Ohtani has one foot out of the door from the team's failures year in and year out. 

"He's very competitive to his detriment at times," a former Angels executive said. "Has anyone ever been able to convince [him] of a direction to that goal?"

via Alden Gonzalez, ESPN.com

Perhaps it's time to look in the mirror for who's responsible to this consistent failure to field a competitive team in Anaheim. 

No amount of rotating GMs or managers can fix what's broken at the top and Arte Moreno can surely compete with himself should the team lose Ohtani for nothing in the offseason.