Angels owner Arte Moreno draws MLBPA criticism after saying fans don't prioritize winning

Los Angeles Angels proprietor Arte Moreno’s caller comments person the Major League Baseball Players’ Association ticked off. 

Moreno was speaking with reporters connected Friday erstwhile helium mentioned that the "number 1 happening fans privation is affordability" to be games during the MLB season, per the Orange County Register.

But that wasn’t the worst of it, arsenic Moreno said, "Winning is not successful their apical five," referencing information the enactment procured themselves.

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Los Angeles Angels proprietor Arte Moreno gets acceptable for a crippled against the Kansas City Royals astatine Tempe Diablo Stadium connected March 14, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)

"They privation affordability," Moreno said to reporters. "They privation safety, and they privation a bully acquisition erstwhile they travel to the ballpark. Believe it oregon not, winning is not successful their apical five."

Bruce Meyer, the caller caput of the MLBPA pursuing Tony Clark’s resignation, said "the players took notice" of Moreno’s comments, portion the national did arsenic well. 

"The bottommost enactment is players are competitors," Meyer told The Athletic. "They grew up competing each day. They spell out, and they effort their hardest to triumph each game. And players privation to spot owners doing the aforesaid thing."

It whitethorn beryllium hard for players to perceive their proprietor isn’t focused connected winning, particularly those connected the Angels’ roster similar aboriginal Hall of Fame halfway fielder Mike Trout, who hasn’t seen playoff shot since 2014. 

In fact, that was the past play the Angels finished the regular play implicit .500 (98-64), wherever they yet mislaid successful the ALDS. Since then, the champion grounds the Angels person finished with was 85-77 successful 2015. 

It’s been a unsmooth spell of it for the AL West franchise contempt years with Shohei Ohtani and Trout connected the roster, though the second dealt with galore injuries on the way. 

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a transportation successful the archetypal inning against the Texas Rangers successful a shot crippled Thursday, June 15, 2023, successful Arlington, Texas.  (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)

Last season, Los Angeles finished 72-90 for past spot erstwhile again successful the part aft going 63-99 the twelvemonth prior. 

Given the Angels are successful a ample marketplace connected the West Coast, 1 would fishy them to beryllium a contender each twelvemonth and a fashionable destination. However, that hasn’t been the case, and the merchandise has suffered successful the win-loss file successful caller seasons.

On the different broadside of town, the Los Angeles Dodgers person go the franchise envied by fans and teams alike fixed their monolithic spending spree and utilizing deferred wealth to tract an All-Star roster that continues to get amended by the year. 

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"If you can’t person a palmy cognition successful Los Angeles, it’s hard to spot what the occupation is," Meyer said. "It’s casual to marque excuses, but surely the Los Angeles Angels person resources to vie successful each respect.

"To travel retired and accidental that winning is not a priority, not adjacent successful the apical 5 priorities, is truly beauteous remarkable."

Moreno’s absorption seems to beryllium connected however helium tin proceed to enactment customers successful the seats astatine Angel Stadium successful Anaheim. The squad was 13th successful MLB for full attendance past play (2,615,506).

"Moms marque astir 80% of the decisions," Moreno continued. "They privation to beryllium capable to bring their kids and beryllium affordable and they privation information and they privation to person a bully experience, truthful they get each the entertainment stuff oregon whatever. The purists, you know, it’s conscionable consecutive winning."

Los Angeles Angels proprietor Arte Moreno reacts during the crippled against the Tampa Bay Rays astatine Angel Stadium connected May 10, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

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Moreno, who is worthy $5 cardinal according to Forbes, sees a payroll astir $188 cardinal for the 2026 season, which sits 15th successful MLB. The franchise is presently dealing with its TV rights, too, having near Main Street Sports Group.

"Will [payroll] get backmost to $200 million? Probably," Moreno said. "We’ve got to get our TV happening worked out, and we conscionable person to amended our brand."

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