Angels fans can’t forget Arte Moreno fumble after Andy Pages breakout with Dodgers

In each day that ends in "y", Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno seemingly provides fans with a reason to dream about a team when the organization isn't run by someone who doesn't exactly have the best baseball sense about him. One of Moreno's biggest fumbles over the past decade is taking on renewed life, and it's unfortunately taking place with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On a roster filled with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, and Freddie Freeman, Pages turned out to be the unsung hero for the Dodgers last year. He had historic struggles during the playoffs, but during the regular season, his wRC+ of 113 was the third-highest mark among the team's qualified hitters. Pages' 27 home runs last year were second only to Ohtani on the Dodgers last year.

Fast forward to the start of the 2026 season, and Pages has quickly turned the page from his playoff struggles. He has 6 hits in his first 18 plate appearances with a wRC+ of 137.

It's been a reminder that while Pages was making his way through the Dodgers' farm system, his hit tool is what made him one of the team's top prospects. Yet, before becoming a regular last year, he was often mentioned in trade rumors. That is where the painful reality lies for Angels fans.

Andy Pages' success is another reason Angels fans blame Arte Moreno

Before the 2020 season, the Angels all but agreed to a trade with the Dodgers that would have landed them Pages. Then, a prospect with the Dodgers, the Angels identified him as the key piece of a deal that also included Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling. The Halos were set to part with Luis Rengifo and a prospect, but as the deal was being finalized, Moreno stepped in to halt the move.

Angels fans were not given an exact reason, though there's long been a belief that Moreno was growing antsy about how long it was taking to complete the deal.

In a 2026 season that started with the Angels having only a handful of players that can be viewed as potential long-term pieces, their outlook certainly would have looked different had Pages been in the outfield. Instead, his breakout with the Dodgers is just another reminder of the doomsday reality that is having Moreno run the team you love.