(Anaheim) Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno said he was exploring the possibility of selling the team.
Posted at 2:41 p.m.
Moreno acquired the Angels in 2003, a year after they won the World Series. He’s spent big bucks to get older stars in the free agent market, like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, but the team hasn’t played in the Fall Classic since he took ownership.
The Angels are set to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season despite having two of the league’s best players in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
“It has been a great honor and privilege to own the Angels for 20 seasons,” Moreno said in a statement. Even though this difficult decision is entirely ours and has taken a lot of thought, my family and I have finally concluded that the time has come. »
Moreno’s announcement comes at a critical time for the team as Ohtani could become a free agent after the 2024 season. made no secret of his desire to play with a winning team. If the team can’t come to a long-term deal with Ohtani, he could be traded before he leaves via the free agent market.
For his part, Trout is under contract until the end of the 2030 season, under a 12-season, $426.5 million deal. He’s played in just three playoff games with the Angels, all three in 2014, even though he’s possibly Major League Baseball’s best player in a decade.
The team has hired Galatioto Sports Partners as a financial adviser and said it would not comment further.