Angels sale puts the team's long-term future in Anaheim under the microscope

The news that many Los Angeles Angels fans have been waiting a long time for finally came this week as Arte Moreno is set to sell his majority stake in the franchise. If the deal goes through, Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke will be the principal owner of the Angels which will only fuel speculation about the team’s future in Anaheim.

Many fans have pointed out the fact that Kroenke moved the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles. He also owns property in Inglewood so there is a fear that the team could be moved from Anaheim into Los Angeles near where the Rams play which many fans would be against.

Then there is the question of Angel Stadium which is city-owned and has needed renovations for quite some time. Will the new ownership choose to make those renovations and keep the team there or will a new ballpark be built?

One positive change that could come from all of this is a name change. The Angels used to have “Anaheim” in their name which makes sense since that is where the team is located, but since 2015 they have solely gone by the Los Angeles Angels. Anaheim’s mayor is hopeful that new ownership would be amenable to changing the name back to include Anaheim, and “Anaheim Angels” certainly has a better ring than a current name that translates to “The Angels Angels.”

There is still a lot of uncertainty with the potential Angels sale

So much is unknown right now, and the first order of business is obviously getting a deal across the finish line. MLB has to approve and while that seems likely, the Angels shouldn’t count their chickens before they hatch even if those chickens are very excited to be rid of Moreno.

No one fully knows Kroenke’s vision for the team so it is all speculation right now, but many fans would probably prefer the team remain in Anaheim and a name change as well.

It’s an exciting time for fans who have been worn down by so many years of bad baseball. Getting a proven executive like John Mozeliak aboard, who should remain with the organization even after this change in ownership, and an owner like Kroenke who has run a team in the Rams that has become a powerhouse in the NFL should really change the culture for the franchise.

However, if the team moves out of Orange County where most of its fanbase is located then that could really get things off to a very shaky start and may lead to fans immediately turning on the new owner even if he isn’t Arte Moreno. 

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