Angels players ‘took notice’ of owner claiming fans don’t really care about winning

The Los Angeles Angels have had a rough time in recent years, as the team is in a prolonged Major League Baseball postseason drought. Things don’t appear to be getting too much better after the team’s owner implied in recent days that Angels fans don’t care about winning. That remark has gotten the attention of the players, as well as the players’ union.

“Let’s just say players took notice of it,” MLB Players Association director Bruce Meyer said, per The Athletic. “And we took notice of it too.

“The bottom line is players are competitors. They grew up competing every day. They go out, and they try their hardest to win every game. And players want to see owners doing the same thing.”

The Angels owner is Arte Moreno, who recently made the comments while speaking with reporters at the start of spring training games.

“The number one thing fans want is affordability. They want affordability. They want safety, and they want a good experience when they come to the ballpark. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five,” Moreno said, per the Orange County Register.

Los Angeles finished the 2025 season with a 72-90 record. The Angels were last in the American League West.

Are the Angels committed to winning games in 2026?

The Angels cut their payroll for the 2026 season. Los Angeles spent about $155 million on payroll for the 2026 club, per The Athletic, after spending north of $200 million in 2025. The Angels owner said an ineffective TV deal is partly to blame for that.

“Will (payroll) get back to $200 million? Probably,” Moreno told reporters. “We’ve got to get our TV thing worked out, and we just have to improve our brand.”

The head of the players’ union was baffled by Moreno’s comments.

“If you can’t have a successful operation in Los Angeles, it’s hard to see what the problem is,” Meyer said to The Athletic. “It’s easy to make excuses, but certainly the Los Angeles Angels have resources to compete in every respect.

“To come out and say that winning is not a priority, not even in the top five priorities, is really pretty remarkable.”

The Angels haven’t made the MLB Playoffs since the 2014 season.

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