Calling all Angels fans: The Arte Moreno era is officially over. After two decades of blown leads, wasted talent, and front-office chaos, Moreno has finally done what Halos fans have begged him to do for years:
Arte finally agreed to sell the team.
Billionaire Stan Kroenke, owner of the Rams, Nuggets and Avalanche, swooped in Tuesday to rescue the Angels from baseball’s purgatory. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is buying the franchise for $4 billion — making it the most expensive sale in Major League Baseball history.
“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market,” Kroenke announced in a statement.
“We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organization.”
The price tag eclipses the Padres’ $3.9 billion record and crushes Steve Cohen’s $2.4 billion purchase of the Mets.
Across American sports, it matches Mat Ishbia’s $4 billion Phoenix Suns takeover, trailing only the Denver Broncos ($4.65 billion) and Washington Commanders ($6.05 billion).
Moreno bought the club in 2003 for $184 million, right after its lone World Series title. He released a statement on the sale:
“The Moreno Family has been honored to steward the Angels for 23 years, and we believe with KSE’s experience and success they are the best next owner for the franchise.
“The Angels organization looks forward to continuing its commitment to the fans, our employees, the players and our business partners.”
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The Halos haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, the longest active postseason drought in baseball.
Around baseball, the Halos became an absolute punchline for squandering the prime years of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on the exact same roster. Ohtani eventually left, crossing town to win a World Series with the Dodgers, while Trout stayed behind, loyal to a fault.
Under Moreno, the organization handed out disastrous contracts to aging stars like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Anthony Rendon, let the farm system rot, and constantly burned through leadership, most recently firing GM Perry Minasian in June.
Then came the cruelest tease of all: Moreno’s 2023 decision to explore a sale, only to abruptly yank the team off the market citing “unfinished business.”
Through every bad contract and lost season, Halos fans kept packing Angel Stadium, proving how deeply beloved this team remains.
That loyalty is why Tuesday turned into an impromptu party outside Angel Stadium.
Hours before first pitch against the Yankees, fans gathered to celebrate Arte’s exit, like they’d just won a World Series.
The Angels enter a new era under Kroenke, whose championship empire spans the Super Bowl-winning Rams, NBA champion Nuggets and Stanley Cup champion Avalanche.
The deal won’t officially close until early 2027, pending MLB approval, but the Moreno era is finished.
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