Angels stadium concerns may explain why free agents avoid Anaheim like the plague

The Los Angeles Angels are a franchise with a lot of storied history, but it is no secret that the organization has been headed in the wrong direction for some time. The team's facilities, both in Arizona and in Anaheim, leave a lot to be desired, which is part of the overall negative reputation the organization currently has.

Former Angels manager Joe Maddon recently spoke about the team's facilities and stadiums and made a very blunt statement: "Everything about it is substandard compared to what's going on in the world today."

Angels' substandard facilities speak to overall decline of franchise

It's a blunt assessment, but you probably won't find too many voices sticking up for the team's facilities. It's taken years for a proper stadium assessment to occur with Angels Stadium in Anaheim, so it is not a huge shock that it is considered one of the worst parks in Major League Baseball.

Maddon spoke about how the training facilities at Angels Stadium paled in comparison to what was available for players when he was the manager of the Chicago Cubs. Maybe some of his comments are sour grapes since he was fired by the Angels and has not gotten another opportunity to be a big league manager, but there is probably some truth in what he said.

If one considers the state of the facilities and owner Arte Moreno's recent comments about how winning is not a priority, it just speaks to the general state of the franchise and how not every resource is being put into trying to win and giving players everything they need to be at the top of their game.

If the Angels were to do a proper stadium evaluation to see how they could upgrade things to make it better for fans and players alike, that could be a sign that Moreno is looking to sell the team. Or maybe he has just decided he cares more about money and the bottom line for once.

It is no wonder that the Angels struggle to attract a ton of free agent talent. Some guys only care about money, so if the Angels offer the biggest contract, they'll play in a sandlot, but a lot of players care about amenities and what their facilities will be like to play in.

No matter what, the fact that Halos' facilities are considered subpar when compared to other teams around the league is sad because it shows that the Angels are not doing everything they can to win. It's not fair to the players, and it is certainly not fair to Angels fans who just want to see a competitive team. Unfortunately, it may be some time until that is the case.