NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno’s recent comments have angered the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Moreno was speaking to reporters on Friday when he mentioned that “the first thing fans want is affordability” to attend games during the MLB season, according to the Orange County Register.
But that wasn’t the worst, as Moreno said: “Winning is not among their top five,” referring to data that the organization itself obtained.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno prepares for a game against the Kansas City Royals at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 14, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/Image Images)
“They want affordability,” Moreno told reporters. “They want security and they want a good experience when they come to the stadium. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five.”
Bruce Meyer, the new head of the MLBPA following Tony Clark’s resignation, said “the players took notice” of Moreno’s comments, while the union did as well.
“The bottom line is that players are competitors,” Meyer told The Athletic. “They grew up competing every day. They go out there and do their best to win every game. And the players want to see the owners doing the same.”
It can be difficult for players to hear that their owner isn’t focused on winning, especially those on the Angels roster like future Hall of Fame center fielder Mike Trout, who hasn’t seen playoff baseball since 2014.
In fact, that was the last season in which the Angels finished the regular season above .500 (98-64), where they ultimately lost in the ALDS. Since then, the Angels’ best record was 85-77 in 2015.
It’s been a difficult situation for the American League West franchise despite years with Shohei Ohtani and Trout on the roster, although the latter suffered numerous injuries along the way.
Los Angeles Angels starter Shohei Ohtani (17) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers in a baseball game on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Last season, Los Angeles finished 72-90 for last place once again in the division after finishing 63-99 the year before.
Since the Angels are in a big market on the West Coast, one might suspect they are a contender every year and a popular destination. However, that hasn’t been the case, and the product has suffered in the win-loss column in recent seasons.
On the other side of town, the Los Angeles Dodgers have become the envied franchise of fans and teams alike due to their enormous spending and use of deferred money to field an All-Star roster that continues to improve year after year.
MLB STARS REACT TO DODGERS’ MASSIVE $400 MILLION PAYROLL FOR 2026 SEASON: ‘I LOVE IT’
“If you can’t run a successful operation in Los Angeles, it’s hard to see what the problem is,” Meyer said. “It’s easy to make excuses, but the Los Angeles Angels certainly have the resources to compete in every aspect.
“To come out and say that winning is not a priority, not even in the top five priorities, is really remarkable.”
Moreno’s focus appears to be on how he can continue to attract customers to the seats at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The team ranked 13th in MLB in total attendance last season (2,615,506).
“Moms make about 80% of the decisions,” Moreno continued. “They want to be able to bring their kids and be affordable, they want security and they want to have a good experience, so they get all the entertainment or whatever. The purists, you know, it’s just a win.”
Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno reacts during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Angel Stadium on May 10, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
Moreno, who is worth $5 billion according to Forbes, projects a payroll of around $188 million for the 2026 season, which ranks 15th in the MLB. The franchise is also currently pursuing its television rights, having departed Main Street Sports Group.
“Willpower [payroll] Back to $200 million? Probably,” Moreno said. “We have to fix our television thing and we just have to improve our brand.”
Related article
