Angels owner Arte Moreno announced he has begun the formal process of exploring a sale of the team, the Angels revealed in a statement Tuesday. Moreno called owning the Angels a “great honor and privilege” in his statement, adding it was a “difficult decision” to reach this conclusion.
“Although this difficult decision was entirely our choice and deserved a great deal of thoughtful consideration, my family and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that now is the time,” the statement read. “Throughout this process, we will continue to run the franchise in the best interest of our fans, employees, players and business partners.”
Moreno purchased the team from the Walt Disney Company in 2003, a year after the Angels won the franchise’s only World Series title. The first decade of his ownership saw great success, with the Angels making the playoffs five times in six seasons from 2004 to ’09, reaching the ALCS twice.
The team has struggled to remain competitive since then, though, with just one postseason appearance and no wins since then. Los Angeles enters Tuesday sitting fourth in the AL West at 52–70.