Angels owner Arte Moreno spoke to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com) today about a variety of team-related topics. Fans are encouraged to check out the article for all the details, but Moreno’s comments about Halos’ salary and uncertain streaming status are especially noteworthy.
These two issues are inherently linked. Last season, the Angels were on the FanDuel Sports Network West, owned by Main Street Sports. The company has been in a bad financial situation for a while and recently missed some payments to teams. In response, the Angels and eight other teams signed with Main Street terminated their contracts last month. Six of those clubs will now be broadcast by Major League Baseball itself, although the Angels are (for now) one of the holdouts.
Moreno promised some clarity “in the next five to seven days,” and said “I’m not saying it won’t” to finally sign with MLB. That may seem like an easy option for the Angels as the season approaches, since as Fletcher notes, “a lot of work and negotiation” would be involved if the Halos were to pursue an alternative such as starting their own TV network.
In signing on with MLB as a broadcast partner, teams can offer their fans the option of streaming for free without blackouts, but with a small amount of revenue going back to the club. Travis Sawchik of MLB.com recently wrote that such clubs receive an average of almost 50% more revenue than previous broadcasting contracts, and naturally it is not a small thing that the fixed income suddenly recedes.
With less money coming in, some teams responded by reducing or reducing spending on player wages. The Angels took this route, as their 2026 salary cap of $180.5MM (as estimated by RosterResource) is less than their $206MM figure from the end of the 2025 season. While Los Angeles made some notable moves this winter, the club’s biggest transaction from a salary standpoint may have been its buyout deal. Anthony RendonIn the final season under contract, he deferred his $38MM salary for 2026 and spread that amount over five years.
Rendon’s contract is one of several high-profile signings that the Angels didn’t claim during Moreno’s ownership, so it makes sense that Moreno would want to change his approach. The owner is now prioritizing young talent ahead of big-ticket free agents as a way to get the Angels back on the winning track.
“The question is will one or two players change the most (record)? If you go out and spend $15 or $20 million a year three or five times, it’s not possible.,” said Moreno. This does not mean that Halo will continue to move forward with a reduced budget forever, as Moreno said “the will [payroll] back to $200 million? Maybe. We have to fix our TV thing and we just have to develop our brand.”
Moreno bought the Angels in early 2003, and the first half of his ownership was more successful than the second. From 2003-15, Los Angeles enjoyed 10 of 13 winning seasons and won six AL West crowns, twice advancing to the ALCS. However, the last decade has been a sad one – the Angels have endured 10 straight losing seasons, and are coming off a 72-90 showing in 2025. Between the many question marks on LA’s roster and the fact that even some teams within the AL West look very strong on paper, it’s hard to see the Angels getting back above the .500 mark this year.
This continued lack of success has taken a toll on the Angels’ “brand,” referring to the 22 catches Moreno faced in turning the team around while spending less money. Barring a complete collapse or a very strong minor league pipeline being developed, it’s hard to see the Angels succeeding in what appears to be a half-assed rebuild.
A key takeaway from Moreno’s interview will be his claim that, according to fan surveys, Angels fans aren’t overly concerned with the team winning as part of their game day approach. “The first thing fans want is affordability,” said Moreno.They want to be accessible. They want safety, and they want a good experience when it comes to football. Believe it or not, winning is not in the top five….Moms want to be able to deliver babies. Mothers make about 80% of the decisions. They want to be able to bring their kids and be affordable and they want to be safe and they want to have a good experience, to have all the entertainment or whatever.“
A winning Angels team above all else is just prioritized “the purists,” as Moreno says, although he says he has that goal.For me, I always wanted to win. Just what is the cost to win right now?“
After 10 losing seasons, it seems like an unheard answer for Moreno to dampen his fans’ desire to see a winning team. Every fan would want to take their family to the ballpark without breaking the bank, but it’s fair to say that Angels fans would be more willing to spend more on tickets if the team was competing. The fact that fans apparently have winning so low on their list of priorities is not a good thing, as it may indicate a lack of faith in their team’s fans, or a sign that if affordability is such a concern, fans may decide that their entertainment dollars are better spent elsewhere than on a team that has never won.
Unsurprisingly, Moreno feels “we can compete“Next season, he feels that his team’s performance will be much better.” Moreno praised GM Perry Minasian’s work, but also hinted that this could be a make-or-break year given that the Angels have yet to surpass the .500 mark in Minasian’s five seasons in charge of the front office. The possibility of a change of GM Kurt may be a new reason for the end of the year, Suki is given a new reason. 2026 is also the last guaranteed year of Minasian’s contract.
“I really like Perry. At the end of the day, you have to start combining wins and losses,” said Moreno.
Regarding his management of the franchise, Moreno said he has no plans to sell the team. Moreno explored selling the Angels back in 2022, but took the team off the market in 2023, and insisted today that he continues to love owning the team.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
