Arte Moreno dodging Angels offseason questions has latest revelation hitting harder

Almost a year ago, Angels owner Arte Moreno declared that the Los Angeles Angels were going to compete in 2025 after he increased payroll: “We have a plan to try to add players that are going to help us compete...Perry’s marching orders are we need to build a team that can compete for a playoff spot. When you get to playoffs, anything can happen.” Obviously, the Angels did not meet Moreno's expectations this season, and the team finished last in the American League West for the second year in a row (which has not happened since 1974-1975).

Moreno and team president John Carpino are expected to make changes this week to the team's front office and coaching staff given the team's futility this season. End-of-year press conferences from the manager and general manager are stalled, as both Ray Montgomery and Perry Minasian are waiting to see if they will even have jobs with the organization in 2026 (per Sam Blum of The Athletic). Typically, these occur today but they will take place on Thursday from...somebody.

Angels fans want answers, but in typical fashion both Moreno and Carpino are ducking reporters right now. The interim manager and general manager cannot answer questions about 2025 and what to expect in 2026 because they have not been told whether or not they'll return next year.

Arte Moreno dodging Angels offseason questions has latest revelation hitting harder

Per Bill Shaikin of LA Times: "I wanted to ask both men to share with fans what the Angels have determined about what was not right in their organization and how they have been going about trying to fix it. Neither man was available for an interview, a team spokesman said." This report from Shaikin is coming a couple days after Ron Washington said he wanted to speak face-to-face with Moreno about returning as manager next season, but the owner was not present during the Angels' final homestand.

Shaikin answered the age-old question that Angels fans have asked every year for almost a decade now: Will Arte Moreno sell the team? Nope! "Moreno, 79, explored selling the team three years ago but is not expected to do so this winter, according to people familiar with his thinking but not authorized to speak publicly." Shaikin suggested that there could perhaps be a world in which Moreno sells if the next MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement implements a salary cap, as that would increase franchise valuations. Moreno, who is all about the bottom line, would be more motivated to sell the Angels following a potential lockout and enactment of a salary cap.

Angels fans are likely to be subjugated to more Arte Moreno and John Carpino-led teams next season and beyond. Angels Stadium will continue to chant "sell the team" next year, and fans will continue to receive radio silence from the men responsible for the longest active playoff drought in baseball. Moreno and Carpino will continue to scapegoat front office members and coaching staffs, even though they were dealt horrible hands by the men in charge of everything. This is life as an Angels fan, and the organization will soon find out what the opposite of love is from its fans as Moreno and Carpino continue to operate in a far-from-standard manner -- apathy.

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