[Shaikin] BREAKING: Rams owner Stan Kroenke buys the Angels, ending Arte Moreno's troubled tenure

[u/Terminal_Flatulence]

https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2026-09-01/stan-kroenke-buys-angels-ending-arte-morenos-troubled-tenure

[u/James-K-Polka]

Pujols, Hamilton and Rendon were all uniquely bad deals but they were 3 of the best free agents available when they were signed.

[u/cman1098 → u/James-K-Polka]

He should have traded Ohtani for the package Tampa Bay offered. He was unwilling to make trades to go into a rebuild.

He never spent money on a rebuild in the way the Braves did. Buying prospects or buying people in trades by taking on bad money for example.

He only spent money on shitty free agents.

[u/Friendly_Confines → u/cman1098]

If he traded Ohtani he would go down in mlb history as villain / fool. You can’t trade away the GOAT in his prime for a rental haul of prospects. 

With hindsight we know that Ohtani was not going to stay on the Angels, but if Arte trades him then the question of would he have stayed is left open forever. 

I actually think it’s very commendable that he didn’t trade Ohtani despite it being the wrong baseball move. 

[u/bosschucker → u/Friendly_Confines]

If he traded Ohtani he would go down in mlb history as villain / fool

as opposed to now, where he goes down as a genius and a hero? everyone knew the Angels were shit and were not making the playoffs. it's not hindsight, many people at the time were saying they should just cut their losses and get something back for him, and those people were obviously right. it's delusional to act like there was ever a universe where Ohtani completely declines to test free agency at all and extends with the perpetually 74-win Angels

[u/Friendly_Confines → u/bosschucker]

No I’m not saying he’s a hero, I’m saying that he will be largely forgotten, which is preferable to “moron of the century”. There have been so many outrageously bad owners in MLB history that being a guy who consistently signed top free agents who didn’t live up to their contracts is not really notable. 

If anything, he’ll be best remembered as the guy who gave Ohtani a chance to play two-way in the big leagues, a concept that was ridiculed at the time, but without it Ohtani is just a really good, injury plagued pitcher with a cool backstory. Without Arte Ohtani doesn’t win MVPs, doesn’t make the HOF, doesn’t become an international sensation who drives millions of new fans to the sport we all love. 

Ohtani was probably going to leave, but calling it a forgone conclusion is hindsight talking. “Many people saying” doesn’t mean shit, fans get angry and opiated about every little thing their owner / GM does or doesn’t do. 

There’s plenty of reasons why Ohtani could have been a career Angel. By not trading him, Arte ensured that leaving would be Ohtani’s decision, not his, and shut the door on all future debate. 

[u/bosschucker → u/Friendly_Confines]

I just don't see how he would be "moron of the century" for trading a good player away from a bad team to get prospects and rebuild. that's, like, having a bad team 101.

If anything, he’ll be best remembered as the guy who gave Ohtani a chance to play two-way in the big leagues

totally agree that this is a great part of his legacy (though totally disagree that that's what he'll be "best remembered" for). has nothing to do with whether he should have traded Ohtani in 23 though

Ohtani was probably going to leave, but calling it a forgone conclusion is hindsight talking

I guess we just have to agree to disagree. Ohtani was guaranteed to be made one of the wealthiest free agents in sports history, there's simply no way that he was ever going to pass on that. and there's super duper mega extra deluxe no possible way that he would pass on that to stick with the Angels, who ran a .461 winning percentage in his time with them, never reached .500 in a season, and never showed any signs of medium- or long-term competitiveness. I don't mean this disrespectfully but I truly have no idea what world you're living in where by holding on to him to play out the rest of the 73-win 2023 season Ohtani was going to be convinced that yeah this team is where he wants to spend the rest of his career

[u/Friendly_Confines → u/bosschucker]

You’re kind of strawmanning an argument that I didn’t make. I’m not saying that Ohtani stays. I’m not saying that Arte trading him wouldn’t have benefited the Angels. 

I’m saying that we don’t know if he stays or not during the 2023 season which is true. I’m not going to debate the likelihood he stays because that’s not the point. The point is he can’t stay if Arte trades him. It’s not a math equation. 

[u/maverickhawk99 → u/James-K-Polka]

Year one the Rendon deal looked good. Then he decided he didn’t give a shit anymore.