Angels Team Sale: LA Owner No Longer Selling Team, Arte Moreno Pulls Club Off Market
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The Angels' fanbase has been hit with an absolute shocker on Monday. Angels owner Arte Moreno has decided that he is pulling his team off the market, and will not be selling them this offseason.
In the official announcement from the Angels' Twitter, Moreno said that he feels he has "unfinished business" and thinks he can "make a positive impact on the future of the team and the fan experience." Here's the full announcement from the Angels:
Moreno initially announced in September that he was going to sell the team, much to the delight of Angels fans. Moreno has owned the team for 20 seasons, and hasn't brought them much success. He purchased the Angels after they won the World Series in 2002, and they haven't been back since. Their last postseason appearance came in 2014, while their last winning season came in 2015.
This offseason is as important as ever for the Angels, with Shohei Ohtani's impending free agency. Many around the Angels hoped that a new owner — potentially one of the Japanese-led groups — would be exactly what the Angels needed to convince Ohtani to stay. But now, it'll be Moreno tasked with negotiating to keep Ohtani in Angel Red.
Moreno plans to remain the Angels' owner for 2023 and beyond. While it's unknown how long he's been planning on doing this, it comes as a complete shock to everyone around the Angels.
Many experts around the game of baseball had confirmed the sale would take place, including the MLB's Commissioner Rob Manfred. But Moreno didn't want the record money he was going to get for the Angels — he wants to be in charge of putting together a winning team.
Here was Manfred's statement on Moreno deciding to keep the team:
The Angels have had a solid offseason, bringing in tons of key players via free agency and trades at a pretty low cost. The Angels have made a few moves that feel like the steal of the offseason, and clearly, Moreno wants to be involved in the team's turnaround.
But again, few things matter right now for Angels fans outside of Ohtani's impending free agency. Moreno was obviously the owner when the Angels convinced Ohtani to sign with them in the first place, but unless there are some major changes with the organization, he may have a tough time convincing him to stay long term. Buckle up, Angels fans — this is going to be an interesting year.
