Angels GM Reveals Arte Moreno's Impact on Trade Deadline Plans

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels had a disappointing trade deadline.

Fans that wanted the team to buy were disappointed when seemingly the only move made was bringing in a pair of veteran relievers and a .152 hitter. Fans that wanted their Halos to sell at the deadline were equally disappointed when expiring contracts were held onto going into August.

For fans who wanted the Angels not to make many moves that moved the needle, this was your deadline. General manager Perry Minasian spoke about why the reason for the quiet deadline may have more to do with ownership than meets the eye.

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“Obviously I talk to ownership,” Minasian said. “No doubt about that. I think every team talks to ownership. You talk about things, baseball operations, ownership. At the end of the day, we felt like this was the best way to go. To me, being competitive in August, being competitive in September, I think is very, very important.”

Minasian stressed the importance of keeping his current group together to grow into a contender. Although currently 5.5 games back from the final Wild Card spot in the American League, behind many teams that were quite active this deadline, the Angels must play their best baseball in order to break MLB's longest active postseason drought.

There are certainly a few different ways to still have kept the core together, while also making moves to add more talent around them for the potential run, or flip expiring contracts to still bring value to the roster, but as the trade deadline is now in the past, what we see is what we get in Anaheim.

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Although baseball in October is presumably the goal, Minasian didn't quite reveal if the current squad will make it there.

“I don’t make predictions,” he said when asked about his team playing meaningful October baseball.

With a farm system that didn't get any help at the deadline, a bullpen that objectively got better after it, and a few more areas in need that weren't addressed, only time will tell if the Angels start to get more competitive during this final stretch of the season.

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For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.