Tom Verducci Exclusive Interview with Arte Moreno

[Chuck]

What was going on with Moreno? What was going on with his team? How could the Angels be the only American League team to post seven straight losing seasons while featuring four of the league’s past eight MVP winners, Mike Trout (three times) and Shohei Ohtani? How could Moreno be accused of spending both badly and not enough? How could Moreno hope to keep Ohtani, a free agent after this season, when the Angels owner had tiptoed over the first luxury tax threshold just once—and that was 19 years ago?

The man who could best answer those questions, Moreno, wasn’t talking. He has not made himself available to answer detailed questions in more than two years.

Until now.

Moreno agreed to SI’s request to discuss why he chose to sell the team, why he changed his mind and the direction of the team, including the future of Ohtani. He makes clear the reason for keeping the team was not for a lack of bidders or price. Moreno indicates three potential buyers were vetted by Major League Baseball and made bids. (One potential buyer from Japan, he says, inquired about the purchase but was not among the bidders.) He says all three bids exceeded the record $2.42 billion Steve Cohen paid for the Mets by more than $200 million.

Full Interview here: https://www.si.com/mlb/2023/03/11/arte-moreno-angels-sale-shohei-ohtani-future
 

 

[Revad]

Enjoyed the read and very interesting, getting more of Arte’s perspective.  

[jsnpritchett]

"I used to stand outside the ladies’ room and ask women, ‘Was it clean in there?’"

... but on more serious matters, he hedges his answer about whether they'll trade Ohtani if they're out of contention by just saying "we expect to be in contention."

Still sounds like he won't go over the luxury tax line...

Also thought the discussion of whether to go after Trea Turner was interesting. Basically says what some folks here discussed: they decided it was better to spread the money around rather than concentrating it on one player. 

 

[mmc]

Uninspiring

[Chuck]

Sam Blum is still butthurt I see. 

 

[jsnpritchett]

6 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Sam Blum is still butthurt I see. 

 

He has a fair point, though.  It is weird that Moreno hasn't talked to any local/beat reporters in years. 

[Chuck]

26 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

He has a fair point, though.  It is weird that Moreno hasn't talked to any local/beat reporters in years. 

Why is it that it's just Sam crying about this though? You don’t see Fletcher, Digi, Shaikin or any of the MLB beat writers for the Angels outraged about this. 

He doesn’t owe reporters a thing IMO. Just let your GM cook and give him the resources to do his job well like he did this past offseason.

Maybe it’s just me but Blum comes across as someone who likes to stir things up on Twitter with a generally young Angels fanbase that seemingly always have sand in their vaginas. 

[Stradling]

I want him to give an exclusive interview to @Jeff Fletcher.  

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Why is it just Sam crying about this though? You don’t see Fletcher, Digi, Shaikin or any of the MLB beat writers for the Angels outraged about this. 

He doesn’t owe reporters a thing IMO. Just let your GM cook and give him the resources to do his job well like he did this past offseason.

Maybe it’s just me but Blum comes across as someone who likes to stir things up on Twitter with a generally young Angels fanbase that seemingly always have sand in their vaginas. 

He wants to be part of the story and he absolutely appeals to the younger 20-something fanbase. He feels it’s his job to hold people accountable as opposed to reporting the news. 

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, Chuckster70 said:

Why is it just Sam crying about this though? You don’t see Fletcher, Digi, Shaikin or any of the MLB beat writers for the Angels outraged about this. 
 

He doesn’t owe reporters a thing IMO. Just let your GM cook and give him the resources to do his job well like he did this past offseason.

Maybe it’s just me but Blum comes across as someone who likes to stir things up on Twitter with a generally young Angels fanbase that seemingly always have sand in their vaginas. 

As we've discussed before, we disagree on our assessments of Blum. As to why other reporters aren't saying anything about it, I can't say.  I don't see anything wrong with what Blum is saying and I generally find the blandness of a lot of the local coverage to be borderline pointless (cue folks who will now try to explain the purpose of beat reporting to me...). I would love to see more in-depth stuff like Fletcher's multi-part series on the minor leagues or some of Blum's interviews with lesser-known players/employees.

[Chuck]

 

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

He wants to be part of the story and he absolutely appeals to the younger 20-something fanbase. He feels it’s his job to hold people accountable as opposed to reporting the news. 

He does both. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

He does both. 

And one of those things is his job. 

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

  I don't see anything wrong with what Blum is saying and I generally find the blandness of a lot of the local coverage to be borderline pointless (cue folks who will now try to explain the purpose of beat reporting to me...). 

 

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

And one of those things is his job. 

Lol.

[Jay]

11 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Why is it just Sam crying about this though? You don’t see Fletcher, Digi, Shaikin or any of the MLB beat writers for the Angels outraged about this. 

Maybe the others don't give a shit.

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

 

Lol.

You’re welcome. 

[Chuck]

“If I’m going to stay,” Arte told her, “I have to make a decision that we have to do better. We’re just not doing well enough.”

- Arte and his wife discussing on whether to keep ownership of the Angels.

[UndertheHalo]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

“If I’m going to stay,” Arte told her, “I have to make a decision that we have to do better. We’re just not doing well enough.”

- Arte and his wife discussing on whether to keep ownership of the Angels.

that’s great but what is he going to do? seems like that could be a combination of a bunch of things.  I guess we’ll see how serious that sentiment is. 

Edited March 11, 2023 by UndertheHalo

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

“If I’m going to stay,” Arte told her, “I have to make a decision that we have to do better. We’re just not doing well enough.”

Maybe there it is...

[Docwaukee]

I thought the article was really well done.  

Lot's to digest here if we're going to deconstruct each and every word he said.  And we will.  I will

He didn't really say anything that was off brand by any stretch.  In fact, this was just more confirmation of the type of owner he is.  He wanted Trea Turner and apparently Minasian convinced him otherwise.  Gotta give some credit to Perry here as he seems to be the only GM so far who's been able to get Arte to do things the non Arte way.  

But really it's the same stuff.  Arte loves baseball.  He wants to win.  He wants the fans to have a great experience.  He wants to be profitable.  He's gonna spend money.  All those things are great and should add up to a franchise that's kicking ass.  It's all the things we would expect to hear from any new owner had he sold the team.  

The one thing that's continually absent from Arte's vocabulary is the importance of player development and the words farm system.  Maybe I'm reaching but if I'm an owner and we're talking about how to make and keep a franchise successful, that would be one of my primary talking points.  

He made a non-specific comment about how if he were going to keep the team that they 'have to do better'.  I don't know what that means but hopefully it means all the things that we've talking about like having a proper infrastructure, focus on the farm and development, not meddling or knee-jerking decisions due to emotion, and so on and so forth.  

There's a semblance of that with giving Perry more control and more money.  But that could be short lived if the team isn't in contention come July.  And all he'll be thinking about is how they should have signed Trea Turner.  

If they don't make the playoffs, they lose ohtani and perry probably gets fired.  And we're starting all over again.  I really want to see what Minasian can do with a few seasons of similar control.  

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 hour ago, jsnpritchett said:

"I used to stand outside the ladies’ room and ask women, ‘Was it clean in there?’"

... but on more serious matters, he hedges his answer about whether they'll trade Ohtani if they're out of contention by just saying "we expect to be in contention."

Still sounds like he won't go over the luxury tax line...

Also thought the discussion of whether to go after Trea Turner was interesting. Basically says what some folks here discussed: they decided it was better to spread the money around rather than concentrating it on one player. 

 

Sounds like Arte was gona Arte and Perry was like, "nooo, please stoooopppppp!!!!!!" And Arte did stop.

[AngelsLakersFan]

45 minutes ago, Stradling said:

He wants to be part of the story and he absolutely appeals to the younger 20-something fanbase. He feels it’s his job to hold people accountable as opposed to reporting the news. 

I always thought the purpose of the news media was to hold people accountable...

[UndertheHalo]

22 hours ago, Stradling said:

And one of those things is his job. 

A good journalists does the accountability thing by asking the right people the right questions.  This is done to shed light and create transparency.  Particularly in the case of stake holders.  Arte is the main stake holder.  Sam pointing out that Arte has broadly not been forthcoming about the team shouldn’t be interpreted as an appeal to 20’s something’s.  Honestly I don’t know what you mean here.  It’s simply what Sam should be doing, as a journalist.  Now, Arte can decline to do that - which he mostly has - and that’s fine.  But also it’s not really a good look.  
 

it’s all true that this isn’t that important.  The sportsball in the scheme of things isn’t important.  It is what it is.  But Sam Blum is covering the Angels so he’s doing what he’s doing.  It’s appropriate within that context.  

Edited March 12, 2023 by UndertheHalo

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I always thought the purpose of the news media was to hold people accountable...

In Stradling's world, a reporter dare not question anything.  Their only job is "Just the facts, ma'am."

[UndertheHalo]

2 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I always thought the purpose of the news media was to hold people accountable...

Baffling