Angels News: Arte Moreno's Penny Pinching Way Brought into Spotlight by Insider

The Angels problems seem to be getting worse...

One of the biggest issues that the Los Angeles Angels franchise has dealt with over the years has been their owner Arte Moreno. While Moreno has been willing to open his checkbooks to sign big-time free agents, the majority of moves haven’t worked out, and have set the Angels back years.

Insider Sam Blum of The Athletic took a deep dive into the Halos organization and shined a light on some not-so-pretty things. This includes how the Angels run the organization, and how they act like a small-market team with finances throughout.

“From player development to scouting to alumni relations, to technology upgrades and spring-training facilities, the Angels are said to be operating a step behind, hampering the major-league club.”

Per Sam Blum of The Athletic

The Angels haven’t found any sort of success on the field in recent years, despite having two of the best players in the league. It has been hard to watch from the outside in and has been a major question for everyone in the industry.

“Everyone in that organization knows that you’re going to be nickel and dimed,” said one former Angels employee. “The overwhelming perception that I got was that winning games was not the top concern from (ownership). It’s ‘How can we make at least one penny more than we did the year before?’”

Per The Athletic

He is known around the league for being a stubborn owner, who puts on the perception of spending money but is cheap in other ways. It’s a strange route to take for a team that plays in Southern California, as Anaheim could be a potential hotbed for talent.

“They’re a typical small-market team,” said a former Angels coach at both the major- and minor-league level. “I say ‘small market.’ I know it’s not a small market. But the way the Angels go about it, it’s generally small market.”

Per The Athletic

Within the article by Blum, it is reported that the Angels aren't even paying their stadium workers more than the minimum wage required by the state of California.

“Per listings reviewed by The Athletic on the Angels’ official job recruiting website, the base pay for a security guard position at Angel Stadium is $15.50 per hour, which is minimum wage in the state of California. The posting notes opportunities for small increases.”

Per Sam Blum of The Athletic

It’s not anyone's job to tell them how to run things, but it’s another sign of the penny-pinching going on. Even at the lowest level of the organization, the Angels owner tries to cut corners. This is how Moreno has operated for years, and it’s not fair to the loyal fanbase that has supported the Halos over time.

“But other venues across the state — and most if not all of the Angels’ peers — exceed the minimum. For example, job listings indicate the Dodgers pay between $16.58-19.48 per hour. The A’s venue pays $16.30 per hour. The San Jose Sharks pay part-time security starting at $20.15 an hour. Crypto.com Arena pays $19.50 an hour. The Los Angeles Coliseum pays $17.25. Even the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds’ venue pays $18 an hour. Teams and facilities across the state consistently pay at a higher level than the Angels for the same work.”

Per Sam Blum of The Athletic

Moreno was supposed to sell the team last year but decided not to at the last second. He wants to remain in control of things, and that is his right as the owner. But his decision-making has made the Angels almost a second-rate organization, and if things don’t change soon, this team could find itself even farther back than they originally thought.