After writing about this for a while now, I never thought I would see the day, but it happened. In a surprise development that puts an end to a tumultuous ownership tenure, longtime Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno agreed to sell the team to Stan Kroenke, the owner of the NFL’s L.A. Rams.
Kroenke’s purchase is for a “controlling interest” in the franchise and will be done through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the Kroenke holding company that also owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the Colorado Rapids of MLS, and Arsenal F.C. of the Premier League, according to a news release Tuesday.
The release stated that the transaction would close “in the first quarter of 2027,” subject to approval of Major League Baseball. The exact price was not disclosed officially, but speculation is that it sets an MLB record above the $3.9 billion paid for the San Diego Padres.
“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market,” Kroenke said in a statement. “We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organization.”
Moreno, an outdoor advertising magnate from Arizona, bought the Angels from the Walt Disney Company in 2003. While the club had steady success in its first years under Moreno with much of the roster that won the 2002 World Series, the Halos have entered a decline since winning their most recent playoff game in 2009.
The Angels are currently headed to their 11th consecutive losing season and their 12th consecutive non-playoff season, both the longest active streaks in the majors.
A significant portion of the Angels’ struggles can be attributed to the 80-year-old Moreno, who repeatedly inserted himself into personnel team decisions. While Moreno spent aggressively in his attempts to build a winner, his biggest moves usually backfired, with a series of high-profile acquisitions who produced a fraction of their anticipated impact. And of course, the Angel faithful can only watch as their best player, Shohei Ohtani, leaves their team to win back to back titles with their crosstown rivals, the Dodgers.
The Angels have also endured numerous troubles off the field during Moreno’s tenure, from the drug-related death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs to numerous smaller scandals.
Meanwhile, Stan Kroenke’s teams have thrived in recent years. The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche also winning the Stanley Cup that year. The next year in 2023 saw the Denver Nuggets win the NBA Finals. And earlier this year in 2026 saw the Arsenal win the Premier League Title for the first time since “The Invincibles” squad did it in 2004.
The speculation now turns to the future of the Angels organization, as they find themselves in a similar situation that the Los Angeles Dodgers experienced under the ownership of Frank McCourt. Only time will tell as to what Kroenke will do to turn things around for the Angels before the clock runs out on the franchise’s all-time top player, Mike Trout, and his potential Hall of Fame career.
