OT: Los Angeles Angels Talk

[mightyquack]

Moreno is legitimately a bottom 5 owner across the big four leagues and this team is going nowhere until he sells.

Trash organisation from top to bottom, but hey at least the Angels can call themselves Los Angeles!!!!

EDIT: If you're not going to match the offer (not like Ohtani would accept anyway), why not trade him at the deadline? Makes zero sense to keep him at the deadline then refuse to match the offer.

You can't not make a play to keep him when you elected to not trade him.....just brainless.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Moreno is legitimately a bottom 5 owner across the big four leagues and this team is going nowhere until he sells.

Trash organisation from top to bottom, but hey at least the Angels can call themselves Los Angeles!!!!

EDIT: If you're not going to match the offer (not like Ohtani would accept anyway), why not trade him at the deadline? Makes zero sense to keep him at the deadline then refuse to match the offer.

You can't not make a play to keep him when you elected to not trade him.....just brainless.

Yeah definitely. Can make a case he's the worst currently.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

What's sad about Arte is the first 5 years or so he was beloved by the fans but the second Tony Reagins was put in charge things started getting worse and have been bad since

 

[JAHV]

What's sad about Arte is the first 5 years or so he was beloved by the fans but the second Tony Reagins was put in charge things started getting worse and have been bad since

Unfortunately for the long-term outlook of the team, he was a victim of his own early success. He spent money on free agents (Vlad! Bartolo!) and those free agents were great. They didn't bring a championship, but they played really well. They certainly earned their paychecks. And Moreno made public statements about keeping beer prices low, which appealed to the masses.

But the team's success in the latter half of the 2000s was still largely a result of the farm systems built by scouting staff and developed by personnel who were there before Arte. Stoneman was the GM until 2007. Once Moreno started hiring yes-men to be his GMs, sycophants who would sit idly by, grateful for their jobs, Arte could start eliminating front and back office jobs with impunity. This allowed him to save money to spend on the next high-priced free agent/trade target who came available. And once his luck with those ran out (Gary Matthews Jr! CJ Wilson! Vernon Wells! Josh Hamilton! ALBERT PUJOLS!), the team collapsed in on itself because there were no quality players to supplement them when they got injured or inevitably became ineffective. And the toxic culture around the organization grew and festered.

And now here we are. Unable to win despite having the two best players on planet Earth for the past however long. I have loved the Angels since I knew what baseball was. Wally Joyner was my hero as a kid. My son has taken up the mantle as well. But I have no hope that he's going to see a championship any time soon. And my fandom is completely dormant. I can't bring myself to care when the owner is actively destroying the franchise that I love. I'm not going to stand in line to get kicked in the crotch.

 

[Rybread86]

No idea if this article is true, but I'd be disgusted if it is.

Angels declined to match Dodgers' offer to Ohtani

It isn’t clear if the two-way superstar would have accepted the Angels’ offer if they’d matched the Dodgers.

theathletic.com

If thats true, then seriously, f*** Arte.

Angels arent a draw without Ohtani. I love Trout, might be my favorite player of the past 15-20 years, but hes been broken for a few years now. The kids are fine. But you now have no one outside of Trout to put butts in seats. And if Ohtani was going to defer his money like his current contract, then its even more of a reason to be pissed.

Sell the team Arte. No one wants you here. Sell to someone who cares about more than just their bank account. Smeone who will build the new stadium in Anaheim, who will run the team PROPERLY and who wants to see the team win. Pompous old *()&%^* 89&*%

 

[Hockey Duckie]

If thats true, then seriously, f*** Arte.

Angels arent a draw without Ohtani. I love Trout, might be my favorite player of the past 15-20 years, but hes been broken for a few years now. The kids are fine. But you now have no one outside of Trout to put butts in seats. And if Ohtani was going to defer his money like his current contract, then its even more of a reason to be pissed.

Sell the team Arte. No one wants you here. Sell to someone who cares about more than just their bank account. Smeone who will build the new stadium in Anaheim, who will run the team PROPERLY and who wants to see the team win. Pompous old *()&%^* 89&*%

Arte made $254 million (Pujols' contract) into $3 billion (Fox Sports West contract). That 20-year TV contract was signed in 2011. To get all that money, Arte probably wants to keep the Angels until 2031? Regardless, Moreno already has billions, made money with Trout, and made money with Ohtani. How is he a cheapskate despite spending close to the luxury tax?!

 

[Deuce22]

Arte made $254 million (Pujols' contract) into $3 billion (Fox Sports West contract). That 20-year TV contract was signed in 2011. To get all that money, Arte probably wants to keep the Angels until 2031? Regardless, Moreno already has billions, made money with Trout, and made money with Ohtani. How is he a cheapskate despite spending close to the luxury tax?!

He’s spent money, just ineptly. More interested in creating a buzz by signing FA hitters than building a farm system.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

What's sad about Arte is the first 5 years or so he was beloved by the fans but the second Tony Reagins was put in charge things started getting worse and have been bad since

Pretty much the way I look at it. Hindsight has definitely proved that Arte inherited Bill Stoneman's regime that won a World Series 2 years prior and had a top farm system that he didn't have to tamper with much. Once Stoneman stepped down and he forced Eddie Bane out two years later, it became clear he didn't have any sort of direction, which continues to this day.

 

[JAHV]

He’s spent money, just ineptly. More interested in creating a buzz by signing FA hitters than building a farm system.

This - he's happy to spend on the big, public stuff. But he runs the leanest back office staff in the game, he won't spend on player development, he only hires GMs who are beholden to him, and even on the big stuff, he spends only on his terms.

There was a story out there with quotes from Adrian Beltre after he retired - he was offered a contract by the Angels when he became a free agent from Boston. He told the Angels he wanted to play for them, but he needed some time to consider it, talk to his family about it. Moreno pulled the offer right then (or a very brief time later - essentially, he wouldn't allow Beltre even a day to think it over. Beltre went on to sign with the Rangers).

There was the other story when the Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts, the Angels had a side deal to pick up Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling from the Dodgers. The Dodgers asked the Angels to hold on when they needed an extra day or two to work out the details of the Betts deal. Moreno scuttled the deal, refusing to wait for the Dodgers and Red Sox to finish negotiating.

He's a small man who can't stand being told to wait or made to feel like he's not the most important guy in the discussion.

 

[ducks8]

My interest in the upcoming baseball season is just not there. I won't be spending a dime on the Angel's this year. Arte doesn't deserve my money

 

[Deuce22]

This - he's happy to spend on the big, public stuff. But he runs the leanest back office staff in the game, he won't spend on player development, he only hires GMs who are beholden to him, and even on the big stuff, he spends only on his terms.

There was a story out there with quotes from Adrian Beltre after he retired - he was offered a contract by the Angels when he became a free agent from Boston. He told the Angels he wanted to play for them, but he needed some time to consider it, talk to his family about it. Moreno pulled the offer right then (or a very brief time later - essentially, he wouldn't allow Beltre even a day to think it over. Beltre went on to sign with the Rangers).

There was the other story when the Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts, the Angels had a side deal to pick up Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling from the Dodgers. The Dodgers asked the Angels to hold on when they needed an extra day or two to work out the details of the Betts deal. Moreno scuttled the deal, refusing to wait for the Dodgers and Red Sox to finish negotiating.

He's a small man who can't stand being told to wait or made to feel like he's not the most important guy in the discussion.

Good leaders hire smart people and let them do their jobs. Poor leaders try to control the people under them because they are insecure and egotistical.

 

[JAHV]

Good leaders hire smart people and let them do their jobs. Poor leaders try to control the people under them because they are insecure and egotistical.

Yes indeed. I've experienced that at my own office.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

He’s spent money, just ineptly. More interested in creating a buzz by signing FA hitters than building a farm system.

I wouldn't mind Arte spending ineptly if he would continue to pay over the luxury tax for top end pitchers. Arte made $3 billion out of $0.254 billion, he can afford to go over the luxury tax while interrupting baseball operations with his slugging whims.

Spending ineptly and handcuffing the roster to be lopsided by his own actions, that's why Arte's done to the Angels.

As for building the farm team, Arte did hurt the Angels when he got rid of Stoneman and losing consecutive first round picks (for Pujols and Hamilton) under Dipoto. Fortunately, the MLB has reduced the value of the lost draft pick to the 2nd round instead after the Dipoto era.

The Eppler draft era has been mostly a bust. He finally drafted a pitcher in the first round in his final draft in LHP Detmers. Eppler didn't place a lot of importance on pitching, which is right up Arte's supreme preference. In fact, Eppler traded a lot of pitchers accumulated by Dipoto.

The Minisian draft era is better than Eppler's, but it's a small sample. All three first round picks have made the MLB in RHP Bachman (relief), SS Neto, and 1B Schanuel. An 11th round 2021 pick, P Silseth has surprisngly made the MLB as a starter. He's drafting collegian b/c they're MLB ready far sooner than a high school prep player; down side is you won't find a higher potential player, but that's a bigger gamble.

I'm more and more impressed with what Dipoto did with the Angels b/c he inherited at club with a bad farm team that lacked pitching in its system. Maybe Moreno will actually be hands off this off-season and let Minisian do his work, possibly go over the luxury tax to get #1 or #2 pitcher (Rendon's contract is still on the books).

 

[AngelDuck]

I was a diehard Angels fan growing up, probably even bigger than I was a Ducks fan, which is crazy

But I just don’t give a shit any more. f*** em

 

[Rooch]

My son and I made a pact today that we won't be spending money on the Angels this year -- our personal boycott based on the ineptitude of the whole organization. Not trading Ohtani at the deadline last season was the single greatest mismanagement of assets I've seen in decades as an Angels fan, and I just can't financially support an organization that doesn't care about winning.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

My son and I made a pact today that we won't be spending money on the Angels this year -- our personal boycott based on the ineptitude of the whole organization. Not trading Ohtani at the deadline last season was the single greatest mismanagement of assets I've seen in decades as an Angels fan, and I just can't financially support an organization that doesn't care about winning.

Its a lot worse than the Islanders losing Tavares for nothing, at least the Islanders were a playoff caliber team when he left. The Angels are a mess even with Ohtani on the team.

 

[JAHV]

I don't know why I even bother. Mike Trout 's 1st inning home run is probably going to be the high point of the season.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

I don't know why I even bother. Mike Trout 's 1st inning home run is probably going to be the high point of the season.

Very stealthy of the Vegas oddsmakers to set the O/U right at 72.5. I’d still take the under, no way this team doesn’t lose 90 games this year

 

[Rooch]

All that money Arte didn't spend during the offseason is really paying off today.

 

[duxfan1101]

My expectations were extremely low and they somehow managed to make them even lower today. Embarrassing team.

 

[JAHV]

If I watch another guy who throws 95+ wa

My expectations were extremely low and they somehow managed to make them even lower today. Embarrassing team.

My 14-year-old son, who loves baseball and has loved baseball all his life, sent me a text after Suarez had walked yet another batter and I think the Angels were down 7-1 or something in the 4th inning: "I don't even want to watch this any more." This is opening day.

Pathetic.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

My son and I made a pact today that we won't be spending money on the Angels this year -- our personal boycott based on the ineptitude of the whole organization. Not trading Ohtani at the deadline last season was the single greatest mismanagement of assets I've seen in decades as an Angels fan, and I just can't financially support an organization that doesn't care about winning.

Yup.

Before then, it was the whole Greinke situation. To avoid losing a 1st round pick, then GM Dipoto traded several prospects, including future all-star SS Segura, for an ace pitcher and wanted to re-sign him in the off-season. Off-season comes and Greinke wants $25 mil/season. Arte gives that $25 mil to slugger Hambone instead AND loses a 1st round pick! SMH.

Not trading Ohtani and knowing you weren't really going to sign him is an Arte classic move. Arte simply cannot let baseball people do the baseball operations. What a shill when I read that Ohtani came to the Angels with the same offer as the Dodgers b/c Ohtani felt a loyalty obligation to the Angels, but Moreno said no. I guess the contract stipulation saying that Ohtani can break the contract if he feels the owner/mgmt isn't doing enough to win games.

 

[Rybread86]

Sports in Anaheim right now... woof. At least with the Ducks you get the feeling they arent satisfied with where they are. Angels? Not so much.

 

[JAHV]

Sports in Anaheim right now... woof. At least with the Ducks you get the feeling they arent satisfied with where they are. Angels? Not so much.

Arte Moreno is the worst.

I had hope for the Ducks, although I'll be honest, it's waning on a daily basis given how bad they look. That stinker against Seattle really took something out of me since they had all their young forwards in the lineup.

But the Angels are just a morass of crappiness.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

All that money Arte didn't spend during the offseason is really paying off today.

Dude is hilarious. Wants to run the team on a budget that leaves him JUST short of the luxury tax with 2 or 3 big names to appease casuals, but has to go dumpster diving for vet minimums and lotto ticket spring training invites every offseason because the cheap young talent doesn’t exist with the worst development system in the entire sport