Failure of an offseason could be a sign that Arte Moreno is finally giving up

There is one common denominator in the failings of the Los Angeles Angels in the past decade and that is owner Arte Moreno. Moreno has been involved in a City of Anaheim corruption scandal, and conflicts with past managers and general managers, especially World Series Champion Manager, Mike Scioscia. His failure to get this franchise to the playoffs has made some Angels fans feel downright depressed about the outlook of the club.

Back in September, the San Francisco Chronicle came out with an article explaining the Angels fanbase should follow the lead of the Oakland Athletics and boycott games. There was hope in 2022 that Arte Moreno was finally going to sell the club. As a fan myself, I’d never seen the fanbase so happy for such a short period of time. Moreno backed out citing “cold feet” and that he didn’t want to give up being an owner.

Via ESPN: "The Angels, sources said, had five prospective buyers who were willing to bid at least $2.5 billion, a mark that would have surpassed the current record held by the Mets. Sure, the Angels have made the postseason only once in the past 14 years and are promised only one more season of Shohei Ohtani, but there were several factors that made it appealing to some of the wealthiest people in the world."

Is Arte Moreno finally giving up on the Angels?

This offseason seems to be a sign of giving up on Arte Moreno’s part. After the arbitration deadline, the Angels are expected to be $70 million dollars below the salary cap. After failing to even match what the Los Angeles Dodgers offered Ohtani, it has only gotten worse being an Angels fan this past month. The Angels were reportedly in on many free agents, but they have not signed one big-name free agent this offseason. What does that say to Angels fans?

Arte Moreno has made three positive deals in his tenure. He signed Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero in 2004, drafted Mike Trout in 2009, and signed Shohei Ohtani in 2017. Many of his accomplishments as an owner from 2004 through 2009 were thanks to the great farm system the Angels had put in place before his arrival. In his first year as owner, the Angels were ranked third for best in organizational talent. At the end of the 2023 season, they were ranked 27th in the same category. Despite signing the best baseball player who has ever lived in Shohei Ohtani and drafting a player, Mike Trout, who has been grouped with players like Mickey Mantle, the Angels have gone to the ALCS twice in 19 years (2005, 2009).

Mike Scioscia, Joe Maddon, multiple Angels general managers, all thrown under the bus for the franchise’s failings. You can only look to one person now. There is hope, but not while the current ownership is in power.