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Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno’s recent comments have drawn criticism from the Major League Baseball Players’ Association.
Moreno spoke to reporters on Friday when he mentioned that “the number one thing fans want is affordability” to attend games during the MLB season, according to the Orange County Register .
But that wasn’t the worst of it, as Moreno said: “Winning is not in their top five,” citing data the organization itself provided.
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Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno gets ready for a game against the Kansas City Royals at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 14, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
“They want affordability,” Moreno told reporters. “They want security and they want a good experience when they come to the ballpark. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five.”
Bruce Meyer, the new head of the MLBPA following the resignation of Tony Clark, said “the players took notice” of Moreno’s comments, while the union did as well.
“The bottom line is players are competitors,” Meyer told The Athletic. “They grew up competing every day. They go out and they do their best to win every game. And players want to see owners do the same.”
It can be hard 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, it was the last season the Angels finished the regular season above .500 (98-64) when they eventually lost in the ALDS. Since then, the best record the Angels have finished with was 85-77 in 2015.
It’s been a rough stretch for the AL West franchise despite years with Shohei Ohtani and Trout on the roster, though the latter dealt with numerous injuries along the way.
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers in a baseball game Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Last season, Los Angeles finished 72-90 for last place again in the division after going 63-99 the year before.
Since the Angels are in a large West Coast market, one would suspect them to be 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.
Across town, the Los Angeles Dodgers have become the envy of fans and teams alike for their massive spending and use of deferred money to field an All-Star roster that continues to improve each year.
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“If you can’t have 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 respect.
“To come out and say that winning is not a priority, not even in the top five priorities, is really quite remarkable.”
Moreno’s focus appears to be on how he can continue to put customers in the seats at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The team was 13th in MLB in total attendance last season (2,615,506).
“Mothers make about 80% of the decisions,” Moreno continued. “They want to be able to bring their kids and be affordable and they want safety and they want a good experience so they get all the entertainment stuff or whatever. The purists, you know, it’s just a win-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, sees a salary cap of about $188 million for the 2026 season, which ranks 15th in MLB. The franchise is currently dealing with its television rights as well after leaving Main Street Sports Group.
“Will [payroll] get back to $200 million? Probably,” Moreno said. “We’ve got to get our TV stuff figured out and we’ve just got to improve our brand.”
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