Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno made a shocking announcement shortly after the trade deadline that he would begin the process of selling the team. After years of struggling to field a competitive team despite having some of the game’s best players, Moreno felt it was time to begin the exploratory process.
At the time of this announcement, it was reported that Moreno did not have any prospective buyers. As in, he didn’t make the announcement with a buyer already in mind. However, given the Angels’ market size and current superstar power, they could definitely appeal to any number of buyers.
The first person to be reportedly interested in purchasing the Angels is L.A. Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, via The O.C. Register and originally reported by Sportico:
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, is reportedly considering a bid to buy the Angels.
This is not Soon-Shiong’s first foray into MLB ownership. In 2012, Soon-Shiong partnered with Steve Cohen in an attempt to buy the L.A. Dodgers. Their bid ultimately failed and Cohen wound up purchasing the New York Mets.
Soon-Shiong is also a part owner of the L.A. Lakers in the NBA, and has clearly spent time attempting to add an MLB team to his portfolio.
However, he may have some competition, as it was also reported that Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob may have interest in the Angels.
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who attended UC Irvine and worked at Angel Stadium when he was young, is also widely considered a likely candidate to bid for the Angels.
It appears that Moreno will have no shortage of bidders as he undergoes the process of selling the Angels team that he purchased in 2003. And for Angels fans, there can be some confidence knowing that several successful sports owners are already showing their interest, even before the 2022 season comes to a close.
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