The Angels’ change in ownership could end up being a problem for the Rangers, and not just in some abstract, long-term way. After 23 years, Arte Moreno has agreed to sell a controlling interest in the Los Angeles club to Stan Kroenke, whose sports empire already includes the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
For Texas, the timing is awkward. The Angels have spent most of Moreno’s run stuck in neutral, making the postseason only six times and not getting back to October since 2014, even with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani sharing the same roster for six seasons. But with new ownership in place, Los Angeles suddenly looks like a team that might finally start moving in the right direction after a long stretch of frustration.
That matters in the AL West. If the Angels become what their market suggests they can be, the Rangers could be looking at a tougher road just as they’re trying to navigate their own financial reality.
Texas is coming off a 2023 World Series title built on a wave of major spending, with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien among the big-ticket additions. Since then, though, owner Ray Davis has cut back. The Rangers now sit 14th in MLB in total payroll at roughly $189.56 million, down from around $250 million in 2023, when they ranked fourth.
The Angels are right behind them at 15th with a payroll of $172.26 million, about $17 million less than Texas. That gap may not stay that way for long. With Kroenke taking over, the expectation is that Los Angeles will push its spending higher, and unless Davis reverses course, the Angels could move ahead of the Rangers in total payroll within a year or two.
Kroenke’s arrival also changes the conversation because of what he’s already done elsewhere. The Rams, Nuggets and Avalanche have all been successful under his ownership, and it’s fair to assume he bought the Angels with the same goal in mind: turn a long-broken organization into one that actually wins.
He also becomes the richest owner in baseball, knocking Mets owner Steve Cohen out of the top spot with an estimated net worth of $24.3 million. But as Cohen and the Mets have shown, big spending alone doesn’t solve everything. The real difference comes from investing in the infrastructure and putting the right people in place to handle roster building, scouting and the day-to-day direction of the team.
That’s where Kroenke’s other franchises come into the picture. The source of optimism around this sale isn’t just money; it’s the idea that he knows how to build a competent operation.
The Angels also have something else going for them: location. Even with Moreno’s poor track record, Anaheim still drew Shohei Ohtani, in part because of where the team plays.
And over the years, the Angels have still been able to land notable free agents such as Vladimir Guerrero Sr., Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson and Anthony Rendon.
Most of those deals did not work out, but the market has never been the issue.
For the Rangers, the immediate reality is that they’re still in the race. Entering Thursday’s series against the Rays, Texas was one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot and 2 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. If the Rangers were still operating with the kind of payroll they carried in 2023, they’d likely be in a postseason position already.
Instead, the Angels may be on the verge of becoming better equipped for the future, and that could make life a lot harder for Texas when it comes time to chase October again.
In Other News...
Rangers Fixed One Streaming Mess But Another May Be Coming
The Rangers have already had one streaming detour this season, moving their broadcasts from Victory+ to BZZR after growing concern about Victory+s financial stability, a concern that proved well-founded when Victory+ shut down. For now, the switch has given Texas a workable home through the rest of the year, but it also underscored how quickly the landscape around local sports media can change when a platform disappears.
The bigger question is what comes next, because the Rangers current commitment to BZZR does not solve the long-term problem. Future options could include Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV or MLB.TV, and the club is also still owed $30 million by Victory+, money that appears unlikely to be recovered. So even after one mess was fixed, another one is already lurking beyond the season. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Getting Closer On Two Returns That Could Change Everything
Josh Jung is back on the field and moving in the right direction, which is the kind of injury update the Rangers have been waiting for as they try to steady themselves heading into a series with Tampa Bay. After dealing with a strained left calf, Jung has resumed running and is now building toward running bases at full speed, a meaningful step for a player whose return would add another layer to Texas infield picture.
Nathan Eovaldi also kept his rehab moving Monday, getting through a 25-pitch bullpen session as he works back from right posterior elbow inflammation. The next checkpoint could be live batting practice, and the Rangers will keep sorting out the timing from there as they prepare for Cal Quantrill to take the ball against the Rays. With both Jung and Eovaldi inching closer, Texas has a chance to regain two pieces that could change the tone of the roster pretty quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Quantrill Is Giving The Rangers A New Rotation Question
Cal Quantrill gave the Rangers exactly the kind of start that can complicate a pitching picture in a good way, rolling through seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over the Rays. Texas got the game moving in the fifth and then kept stacking on with insurance later, while the bullpen handled the final frames to finish off the shutout and back Quantrills best outing in a Rangers uniform.
The timing matters because the Rangers are always looking for stability in the rotation, and a performance like this tends to make a decision tree a little more crowded. Shane McClanahan took the loss for Tampa Bay, but the story for Texas was the same from start to finish: a clean, efficient night from Quantrill, run support when it counted, and another reminder that the club may have more moving parts on the mound than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]