Arte Moreno Selling LA Angels To Rams Owner Stan Kroenke

Sports mogul Stan Kroenke is purchasing the Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)

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Arte Moreno Selling LA Angels To Rams Owner Stan Kroenke

The controversial tenure of Arte Moreno owning the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is coming to an end.

Moreno is selling the MLB franchise to Stan Kroenke through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and approval by Major League Baseball.

No sale price has yet been revealed, but given the recent $3.9 billion sale of the San Diego Padres, the Angels are expected to sell for a record price.

Forbes’ most recent valuation of the Angels was $2.8 billion.

“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market. We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organization,” said Kroenke in a statement announcing the sale.

Kroenke, through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), has amassed a sizable stable of sports properties. KSE’s portfolio includes the Los Angeles Rams and developed SoFi Stadium and the surrounding 300-acre Hollywood Park district in Inglewood. It also includes the NBA Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, the MLS Colorado Rapids, as well as Arsenal of the Premier League.

“The Angels Organization is pleased to announce this transaction with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment,” said Arte Moreno. “The Moreno Family has been honored to steward the Angels for 23 years and we believe with KE’s experience and success they are the best next owner for the franchise.”

If approved, the sale will bring a close to a controversial chapter in Angels history. Since Moreno purchased the club from the Walt Disney Company in 2003 for $184 million, the team has a .506 winning percentage and won the AL West in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Their last playoff appearance was in 2014, when they were swept in the ALDS by the Kansas City Royals.

The team has not been over .500 since 2015. They have finished 4th or lower eight times in the AL West in the last nine seasons. They are currently 4th with a 53-85 record (.384).

The club’s performance in one of the largest markets in the country has largely been attributed to Moreno’s meddling in front office affairs. Moreno explored selling the club in August of 2022 only to pull the team off the market in January of 2023.

The biggest controversy with Moreno was the attempted purchase of Angels Stadium and the surrounding property from the City of Anaheim. That deal collapsed because of city corruption, in which Mayor Harry Sidhu allegedly gave the Angels confidential information twice. That eventually led to Sidhu resigning as mayor.