National Analyst Slams Angels, Arte Moreno: ‘At What Point Does Mike Trout Say Enough of This?’

The clock is ticking on this franchise turning things around.

The mood surrounding the Angels is a bit strange at this point. 

Those who root on the Halos watched as their once-in-a-lifetime player left to sign up the road in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. 

Owner Arte Moreno reportedly will not sell the team amid much hullabaloo. Even more, it's said that he'll want to lower the team's payroll -- which could prevent the team from signing Blake Snell or any other high-priced free agent. 

With Mike Trout's prime hanging in the proverbial balance, what direction is this team going to take? MLB pundit Ken Rosenthal wasn't shy in riffing on this question: 

"At what point does Mike Trout say enough of this?"@Ken_Rosenthal says Trout's future is a lingering cloud over the franchise with the surrounding uncertainty following the team.

▶️ https://t.co/4jsk3eCAGV pic.twitter.com/FCuraz6ta0

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 15, 2024

Rosenthal repeatedly asked, "What is the future?" The team needs some major upgrades both on the field and regarding infrastructure (as The Athletic's Sam Blum broke down below). 

By functioning as a team without a clear direction, one wonders whether it would be better for all parties involved if the team did indeed deal Trout to another team. 

Arte Moreno answers only to himself.

And on Wednesday, the Angels owner made it clear that he’s going nowhere.

So where does that leave this franchise? Completely aimless.

Column on Arte & the Angels future: https://t.co/flfTyLxhMG pic.twitter.com/7H9utgDhoD

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) February 15, 2024

It doesn't look as if the Angels will be contenders in the American League -- let alone the AL West anytime soon. By trading Trout, it would, in theory, help to replenish a farm system in desperate need of talent. 

At the same time, it would be a tough pill to swallow to see two future Hall of Famers (Trout, Shohei Ohtani) walk out the door while not capitalizing on either of their stunning careers. 

A once-proud franchise featuring the likes of Ryan, Guerrero, Fregosi, Carew, Anderson, Finley, Erstad, Eckstein, Grich, Glaus, Salmon, Rodriguez, and Percival, the Angels haven't won a playoff game since 2009. That is not acceptable considering the pedigree of the ballclub, as well as the market in which it plays in. 

With the Dodgers continuing to skyrocket past the Angels into a completely different universe, Moreno has to do something...

...and quickly.