LA Times: Owner Arte Moreno willing to take blame for Angels' slow start

[Brandon]

The Angels lost money last year for crying out loud. If their reckless pursuit of free agents continues, this team's best days are likely behind us.

Link to financial losses?

I'm pretty sure one doesn't become a billionaire by loading money or spending money on high priced players.

[HaloHonkHenry]

I never believe claims that a professional sports team lost money. They are a tax shelter for the rich and they continue to appreciate at ridiculous rates. The Sacramento Kings were offered 650mil to purchase for christs sake. The Cleveland Browns sold for 1 billion!

[yk9001]

I never believe claims that a professional sports team lost money. They are a tax shelter for the rich and they continue to appreciate at ridiculous rates. The Sacramento Kings were offered 650mil to purchase for christs sake. The Cleveland Browns sold for 1 billion!

 

There is NOTHING more truthful than that statement.

[AZMike]

I still think Hamilton was the wrong decision based on the needs of the team even if he was producing 

 

Agreed. Pitching should have been the main focus.

 

Zach Greinke looked pretty good last night giving up only 1 earned run. Sure would be nice to have him in our rotation still. I think the Greinke contract would have been much smarter money spent for this ball club than Blanton, Madsen, Hamilton.

 

 

It's not clear how many real options there were for pitching. Even had the Angels matched or even slightly exceeded the Dodgers offer it's not clear he would have re signed with us. He prefers national league baseball all else equal. He even drove in some of his own run support last night.

 

Most teams attain pitching through their farm systems. Who have the Angels developed lately? Corbin and Skaggs? That trade isn't good but the fact that those were probably the only top shelf starters to come out of our system in a long time suggests scouting and development has been a problem for years.

 

That said, I don't disagree with the teams' plan to trade Morales for a pitcher and acquire a left handed bat via free agency. I just don't think it should have been Hamilton. Angels could have picked up Nick Swisher for OF for example and still had money left over to improve other positions.

 

The Rangers were able to fill their need for hitting from the left side by signing AJ Pierzynski to catch, and Lance Berkman to DH. AJ has helped their pitching staff (CERA and things like CS% has been worse while he was injured), and Berkman has been about as productive as Morales was for the Angels before.

[Lifetime]

The issue for me is this, arte knew going in there was a huge risk for diminished returns, he chose to approve those risks. I don't have any issues with Pujols but to me, when the team is in dire need of pitching, I'd rather throw that big money risk at a front line starter like Grienke. I am not usually in favor of huge contracts for pitchers but if that is your team's biggest need and your owner is willing to take those kind of risks, as Arte has clearly shown he is, then you have to go for that player who best meets the needs of the team. It would have been much better to resign Torii to play RF, and spend your big money on pitching. And if you can't land Grienke after that, you need to have a backup plan for pitching not a slugger.

[mp170.6]

Link to financial losses?

I'm pretty sure one doesn't become a billionaire by loading money or spending money on high priced players.

 

What are you saying, the editors of Forbes are trying to make the Angels look bad? 

 

http://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/

[mp170.6]

The issue for me is this, arte knew going in there was a huge risk for diminished returns, he chose to approve those risks. I don't have any issues with Pujols but to me, when the team is in dire need of pitching, I'd rather throw that big money risk at a front line starter like Grienke. I am not usually in favor of huge contracts for pitchers but if that is your team's biggest need and your owner is willing to take those kind of risks, as Arte has clearly shown he is, then you have to go for that player who best meets the needs of the team. It would have been much better to resign Torii to play RF, and spend your big money on pitching. And if you can't land Grienke after that, you need to have a backup plan for pitching not a slugger.

 

Moreno consistently claims he is "not a baseball man" -- yet, if the media reports are accurate, he's bypassed the front office to sign free agents in recent years.  Doesn't he realize he is potentially sabotaging his baseball staff and the long term plans of the organization by doing this? 

 

I don't think Moreno became a billionaire by being this impulsive with his money. 

[Lifetime]

Moreno consistently claims he is "not a baseball man" -- yet, if the media reports are accurate, he's bypassed the front office to sign free agents in recent years.  Doesn't he realize he is potentially sabotaging his baseball staff and the long term plans of the organization by doing this? 

 

I don't think Moreno became a billionaire by being this impulsive with his money. 

There's no indication that he bypassed his baseball people and forced their hand on what players they signed. He's got bottom line approval but he isn't the one deciding who to go after. 

[mp170.6]

There's no indication that he bypassed his baseball people and forced their hand on what players they signed. He's got bottom line approval but he isn't the one deciding who to go after. 

 

There was talk around here that Moreno met with Pujols or Hamilton without DiPoto's knowledge.

 

Truth or fiction, I don't know.

[Lifetime]

No credible information indicating that's true. 

[LAA]

What a joke. The entire organization has become apologetic and zero accountability. If you want to watch good old fashioned hardball, it sure isn't going to happen with MS as the manager.

[mp170.6]

This article suggests it was Moreno's idea to sign Hamilton. 

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121215&content_id=40663648&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

[Angel Oracle]

And now we're stuck with a player whose stats suck in 4 of the past 6 months.

[yk9001]

Make no mistake, owner Arte Moreno knows all about what this Josh Hamilton signing means to the Angels' bubbling rivalry with the free-spending Dodgers.

"I personally can't wait to play them," Moreno said at Hamilton's Saturday press conference. "I mean, think about how much fun it's going to be."

 

 

Arte's always been preoccupied with the LA Dodgers.

 

 

What fun is that freeway series going to be, huh?

[Lifetime]

This article suggests it was Moreno's idea to sign Hamilton. 

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121215&content_id=40663648&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

It does? That's not what I read. 

[mp170.6]

It does? That's not what I read. 

 

I don't see anything in that article that suggests it was Dipoto's idea. 

[jshep]

Make no mistake, owner Arte Moreno knows all about what this Josh Hamilton signing means to the Angels' bubbling rivalry with the free-spending Dodgers.

"I personally can't wait to play them," Moreno said at Hamilton's Saturday press conference. "I mean, think about how much fun it's going to be."

 

 

Arte's always been preoccupied with the LA Dodgers.

 

 

What fun is that freeway series going to be, huh?

 

That's going to be a intense series. The 2 LA teams fighting it out for the better draft pick in next year's draft.

[yk9001]

No credible information indicating that's true. 

 

 

Moreno instructed new GM Jerry Dipoto to inform Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, that the Angels were interested and then asked to speak with Pujols on the phone.

 

In the span of two phone conversations over 48 hours last week, without even meeting face to face, Pujols said Moreno made him feel wanted.

"He let me know he really wanted me," Pujols said. "He called me his (business) partner."

 

 

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pujols-331375-moreno-angels.html

 

 

Later, the more Moreno thought about it, the more he liked the idea of going after Pujols, having concluded that the Angels didn't have "the depth in our organization to really compete at the level we needed to compete" for World Series titles.

[Lifetime]

I don't see anything in that article that suggests it was Dipoto's idea. 

The article indicated Arte said he was willing to open his pocketbook. It doesn't indicate in anyway it was his idea or decision to go after Hamilton. At that point, the Angels had had a meeting with Hamilton at the winter meetings. 

[JB Abell]

Link to financial losses?

I'm pretty sure one doesn't become a billionaire by loading money or spending money on high priced players.

Well spending the money on Pujols was what landed the angels a 3 billion dollar 20 year contract with Fox. That's 150 million a year. Hamiltons and pujols contracts are already paid for by that contract. You have to spend money to make money

[Lifetime]

Moreno instructed new GM Jerry Dipoto to inform Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, that the Angels were interested and then asked to speak with Pujols on the phone.

 

In the span of two phone conversations over 48 hours last week, without even meeting face to face, Pujols said Moreno made him feel wanted.

"He let me know he really wanted me," Pujols said. "He called me his (business) partner."

 

 

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pujols-331375-moreno-angels.html

 

 

Later, the more Moreno thought about it, the more he liked the idea of going after Pujols, having concluded that the Angels didn't have "the depth in our organization to really compete at the level we needed to compete" for World Series titles.

Interesting that you skipped over this nugget: 

 

"Moreno insisted this wasn't an impulsive buy, that Dipoto had dinner with Lozano last month, just to find out what Pujols was seeking.

"He (Dipoto) turns over rocks," Moreno said. "He said there's no reason not to talk to every (free) agent that's available."

Dipoto had already had conversations with his agent - much like what happened with Hamilton. The instruction from Arte was go ahead and pursue him, it was not initiating the idea of pursuing him.

[mp170.6]

The article indicated Arte said he was willing to open his pocketbook. It doesn't indicate in anyway it was his idea or decision to go after Hamilton. At that point, the Angels had had a meeting with Hamilton at the winter meetings. 

 

Let's assume it was a mutual idea in the front office.  Why did Moreno go to Texas with his wife and John Carpino (another non-baseball guy) to offer Hamilton a deal and pressure him to agree immediately? 

 

Not having your baseball people present for a 4-hour meeting like that seems really weird. 

[gotbeer]

Good for Arte.  He said it.  What's done is done.  Time to move on.  

[mp170.6]

The instruction from Arte was go ahead and pursue him, it was not initiating the idea of pursuing him.

 

What you just quoted said Dipoto talks to every free agent available.  That doesn't mean the Angels are interested in every one of them. 

 

So I think when Moreno gave the signal it was him telling Dipoto what to do...even though Moreno claims not to do those kinds of things, leaving them up to the baseball people. 

[Lifetime]

Let's assume it was a mutual idea in the front office.  Why did Moreno go to Texas with his wife and John Carpino (another non-baseball guy) to offer Hamilton a deal and pressure him to agree immediately? 

 

Not having your baseball people present for a 4-hour meeting like that seems really weird. 

Mutual in that Arte agreed to pursue it, OK.

 

As for why Arte went to Texas with his wife and Carpino to make the offer without his baseball people, as I stated before, Arte is a big organisational family guy. He went there to present the package by adding the personal touch of an interested owner. There's nothing weird about that and in fact that action meant a lot to Hamilton and influenced his decision.