The Los Angeles Angels announced this past August that owner Arte Moreno is considering selling the franchise, and that process remains ongoing. During the Winter Meetings in San Diego, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he is hopeful a sale will be finalized before Opening Day next year.
In the meantime, the Angels are trying to field a competitive team for the 2023 season, and they have been quite active in free agency. So far the team has acquired Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela in trades, while signing Tyler Anderson and Carlos Estévez to multi-year contracts.
Although the sale of the team could ultimately hinder their ability to make deals and eventually compete, Angels manager Phil Nevin doesn’t see it as an issue.
“I don’t think it’s a distraction at all,” Nevin said of the team’s potential sale. “I mean, I read the same things you guys do. I’m not part of that. But, no, I don’t think it’s a distraction at all.
“If anything, what we’ve been able to do this offseason and add I think it’s just a credit to what our ownership is right now. And he’s not just going to pack up and leave us stranded on an island. I think he still has a lot of love and care for our organization and the processes we’re going through right now and we all respect each other in that way.
“It’s been nice to be able to just talk about these players and the discussions we’ve had internally amongst ourselves on how we can get better. It’s been nice to have those and not have restrictions, as we say, and we certainly haven’t this offseason.”
Nevin also doesn’t believe Moreno’s efforts to sell the team have deterred players from wanting to join the Angels. “I don’t think so,” Nevin said. “At some point somebody else will be signing that big check over to them. Still spends the same.”
Phil Nevin credits Arte Moreno for willingness to improve Angels
With Moreno in the process of selling the Angels, he very easily could have decided to not spend much money on improving the team this offseason. That hasn’t been the case, and Nevin gave credit where credit is due.
“And it won’t. No. I don’t think it does. And Arte has been great to the Angel organization, the Angel community,” Nevin began.
“And I know he takes his — I think anybody in a high profile position is subject to a lot of criticism. He unjustly gets that. If you remember he’s gone out and signed some of the biggest free agents in the past. We’re just doing it a little bit different way this year.
“He’s always wanted to win. He’s always brought us some great players. I grew up an Angel fan, as you guys know. I grew up in the area and followed it quite closely. And to just add some of the best players in this time or through the offseason they’ve always done that.
“And Arte has always been a part of that. And the fact that we’re able to do these things right now has been important to everybody that’s involved in the organization.”
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