Arte Moreno on Angels Future: 'We Need to Put a Competitive Team Out'

Eva Geitheim | Oct 13, 2024

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Since finishing with their worst win-loss record in franchise history at the culmination of the 2024 MLB season, the Los Angeles Angels have made it clear that they are trying to compete to return to the playoffs. And not just at some point in the future, but next season.

Making the playoffs next season would be an incredible turnaround for the Angels, and similar to what the Kansas City Royals pulled off this season. Not only have the Angels not made the postseason in a decade, the longest active drought in MLB, but they also finished with a franchise-worst 99 losses this season.

“The reality is we need to put a competitive team out there,” said Moreno, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “We have some young players and more depth than we’ve had. And we’ll have even more depth in ’26. When you’re looking at ’25, you’re looking at a combination of ’25 and ’26. What we have to do is do things in ’25 to be as competitive as we can, but we also want to do things to enhance ’26 so we’ll be deeper.”

One of the primary questions for the Angels will be if they are willing to spend what it will take to field a more competitive roster. The Angels have been criticized for their lack of spending, which the team has attributed to the large contracts they gave to Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout, who have primarily been injured over the last four seasons. Still, the Angels' biggest contract went to Robert Stephenson as they signed him to a three-year, $33 million contract.

This level of spending likely will not be enough for the Angels to form a truly competitive team next year, especially since the Angels are looking to add to their infield, outfield, and starting rotation, as well as more depth to the team in general. The Angels are excited about the young core they have developed on their roster, but this group has not proven to be enough yet to turn the Angels into winners without more help.

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