Arte Moreno excites Angels fans with surprise announcement

Mar 24, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno at a press conference to announce a 12 year contract extension for center fielder Mike Trout (not pictured) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most disliked team owners in sports made a surprise announcement on Tuesday, and it is one that has Los Angeles Angels fans excited for the future.

The Angels have announced that owner Arte Moreno is exploring the possibility of selling the franchise. Moreno, 76, said in the press release that “now is the time” for him and his family to move on from running the team.

Today, Angels Baseball announced that the Organization has initiated a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the team. pic.twitter.com/ZdQb34V4Ns

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 23, 2022

The Angels have not been to the playoffs since 2014. They entered Tuesday with a record of 52-70 and are on their way to their seventh consecutive losing season. Moreno has owned the team for nearly 20 years, and fans have been unhappy with him for most of those.

Moreno has long made it clear that he cares more about short-term profits than long-term success. That is one of the main reasons the Angels continue to have disappointing results. Most people agree that the team is in need of a total rebuild. Moreno had an extremely frustrating reason for not allowing the Angels to get started on that at the trade deadline.

If Moreno goes through with the sale, Angels fans will breathe a collective sigh of relief.