The Los Angeles Angels sit in the middle of an uncertain future after the Anaheim City Council put a halt to the Angel Stadium sale due to the ongoing corruption scandal and the team has agreed to follow the city’s directive.
Back in 2019, Anaheim agreed to sell the stadium and its surrounding land to Arte Moreno’s company, SRB Management, in exchange for guarantees to provide over $300 million in future commitments to the city of Anaheim and its development.
However, the plans set up by former Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu are now under FBI investigation. This has put a pause on the land sale, which could have set up a long legal battle.
But according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, the Angels and the city of Anaheim are on the same page for now:
Three days after the Anaheim City Council unanimously voted to kill the Angel Stadium sale, the Angels agreed Friday not to contest the decision.
“We believe it is the best interest of our fans, Angels Baseball, and the community to accept the City’s cancellation,” Angels spokeswoman Marie Garvey said in a statement.
Had the Angels decided to make a mess out of this situation—they could have, but it would have been extremely public and a media nightmare for all parties included. The city and Anaheim mayor pro tem Trevor O’Neil praised the Angels for aligning themselves with the city council’s decision:
“We welcome and thank the Angels for their mutual understanding of what is called for in this moment,” O’Neil said. “It is the right thing to do.
“But a long-term plan for the stadium site and baseball in Anaheim are still opportunities we want to explore. We will continue working to get past this moment with the door open for a fresh start when the time is right.”
Moreno might choose to re-engage in talks for a new stadium but this type of deal has been attempted twice in the span of a decade and has since failed both times.
Angels considering all options after sale falls through
With the Angel Stadium sale a thing of the past, Moreno and his management have free reign to decide what avenue to pursue.
It remains unclear what the corruption investigation will do and how it will impact any future sale of Angel Stadium, but for now, Moreno could simply choose to look elsewhere in terms of a home city or lock in a commitment long-term with Anaheim.
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