The last two years have been filled with uncertainty at the very top of the Los Angeles Angels organization. In that time, Arte Moreno has put the team on the market, subsequently taken it off the market while still hearing offers and has continued to struggle to put a winning team on the field while allowing Shohei Ohtani to walk and refusing to trade him when the time was right.
All of this has left the team in a state of limbo. It was less than one month ago that rumors swirled about Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban showing interest in buying the Angels. At the same time, L.A. has clearly chosen to cut costs on their 2024 roster, making only minimal bullpen investments. With all of this going on, it’s safe to wonder what Moreno’s long-term plan is.
He spoke publicly on the subject, saying that he has no plans in the near future to sell the Angels franchise, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“I am here long term,” Moreno said in an interview with the Southern California News Group. “There are some people that came back and some people that knew I had it on the market (in 2022). I basically said it’s not on the market.”
Moreno added that it was always possible that someone would come back and make an offer that he couldn’t refuse.
“I’m a business person,” he said. “If someone gets really stupid, then you have to go.”
Putting the team on the market and taking it off knowing that would lead to follow-up offers is not a bad business strategy, but when part of your business is keeping the investment of a fanbase, it’s not the best way to approach it. It has been a bumpy road for Moreno with the Angels fanbase.
But now, it seems certain that Moreno will not be selling the team and is going to try and put a winning team on the field, even if he admits he won’t break the bank just to add pieces.
Angels bring in Drew Pomeranz
The Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, the 35-year-old veteran who has not thrown a Major League pitch since 2021. Elbow issues, namely surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in August of 2021, have kept Pomeranz away from the big league stage. He had ramped up several times in both 2022 and 2023 but had to be shut down, and eventually had another clean-up procedure in his elbow in May of 2023. At this stage, it’s unclear when, if at all, Pomeranz would be ready to go this season.
Pomeranz has been a very good pitcher over the course of his 11-year career. As a full-time starter in both 2016 and 2017, Pomeranz tossed over 170 innings with ERAs of 3.32 in both campaigns. He was named an All-Star in 2016. His transition to the bullpen from 2018 to 2020 was a bit clunky, but he ultimately found a home with the San Diego Padres.
In 44.1 innings between 2020 and 2021, Pomeranz had an ERA of 1.62 out of the bullpen. He struck out 59 batters in that stretch and had an ERA+ of 250. He had a WHIP of 1.083 in that span. So when Pomeranz is at full strength, he is a legitimate reliever with All-Star potential.
