Could Mark Cuban buy the Angels amid swirling rumors?

Yes. It's technically possible for Mark Cuban to purchase the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. But let’s go over this and how we got here.

MLB Network Radio host Jim Memolo said over the weekend that the Los Angeles Angels are about to sell, according to a contact of his in Major League Baseball. If we had a penny for every time we wished that into the wishing well, right? That’s not the crazy part. The name given to him of who might buy the club was Mark Cuban, now the partial owner of the Dallas Mavericks and so many other properties. Before we go down this rabbit hole, let’s take this with a massive grain of salt.

The first time I could find Mark Cuban connected to the Angels was an article way back in 2010 that was published by the Orange County Register, just around the time when Arte Moreno fatigue started to settle in. This was before the offseasons of signing Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and C.J. Wilson. We all know how well that turned out. Let’s not dwell, though. There were also lingering talks about Cuban buying the Chicago Cubs that never came to be. After the Rob Manfred takeover of Major League Baseball, his name was thrown out into the ether.

Cuban tweeted back in early 2020 how the league was a “mess right now” following the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal, and said, “I’m thankful they didn’t let me buy a team.”

Coming from a business owner of Cuban’s pedigree, that was a major statement about how Major League Baseball was trending even before the pandemic.

What could’ve possibly changed between MLB, Mark Cuban and the Angels?

Baseball is in the biggest period of growth in recent memory, with the new rules bringing in more fans and viewers, new television deals (though Bally Sports' financial woes have thrown a wrench in the process), streaming opportunities, and the talks of MLB expansion. You have seen the Oakland Athletics' forthcoming move to Las Vegas, Nashville' search for a ball club, Charlotte trying to move up from being a Triple-A city, the Chicago White Sox looking for a new ballpark, Kansas City seeking a new site, and, finally, Portland getting in on the action, with a company buying a 100-plus acre site. Don’t forget about those Canada and Mexico plans as well. That is around seven to 10 possible options for projects and ongoing projects to bring baseball to cities in North America.  

This past November, Cuban sold his majority stake in his NBA franchise, the Dallas Mavericks. The news seemed to come out of nowhere. There have been talks that Cuban may see something in the NBA that he doesn’t think could make it more profitable for him as an owner. There’s a reason why many never really paid attention to the Dallas Mavericks before his tenure. The Dallas Mavericks became a beacon of solid ownership and playoff runs in the association only after he became involved.

Mark Cuban’s net worth by himself is $6.2 billion, as of this year. It took an ownership group to buy the Baltimore Orioles this past week under one-third of that total. If Cuban bought the Angels, his net worth among MLB owners would be top two, maybe even the richest.

Why the Angels?

The Angels have always been the little brother to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Like it or not, it’s true. However, before the Dodgers' new ownership, the Angels were the team winning division titles in the 2000s and not the Dodgers. With the Angels situated in beautiful Orange County, they have always had many advantages over Los Angeles.

One, the traffic. Anyone who lives in Southern California understands how bad traffic is in the area. Anaheim is definitely not as bad as Downtown LA. Two, the location near beach access and family-centric cities. Also, you don’t have to fly out of LAX, which is always nice. Finally, you have the biggest company in the world in your backyard in the House of Mouse, Disney -- specifically, Disneyland.

Disneyland and Angel Stadium go hand in hand, whether under the same umbrella of ownership or not, in the past 25 years. Disney would allow unfettered access to ESPN, and maybe even a chance for the Angels to be the first baseball team to be streamed exclusively on Disney Plus or Hulu. Disneyland -- specifically "DisneylandForward," as they are calling it -- has been looking into extra space that could hold Angel Stadium to add a possible third “land” to Disneyland if they’d decide to move on.

We’ve seen how Mark Cuban can navigate a salary-cap, but what if he didn’t have to? Baseball is the only sport that can earnestly leave an owner no worries about money, as long as the owner is willing to go the distance. I bet Cuban would love to get back at the Houston Astros for cheating as well, being in the same division.

Now let’s get out of euphoria, ladies and gents, children of all Angels. This is one report with no backup evidence thus far. Personally, I love the passion Mark Cuban brings as an owner. If I’m Dodgers ownership or New York Yankees ownership, I’d need many "Cubans" and alcohol to get over Mark Cuban buying the Angels. That, or therapy.

A Mark Cuban ownership of the Los Angeles Angels wouldn’t just effect the Angels franchise and its fans, but MLB fans in general. A human-made earthquake would strike Orange County the day of Cuban's landing.