It’s like clockwork at this point—the finger-pointing game in the Los Angeles Angels shows no sign of stopping. This time, owner Arte Moreno is calling out the lack of production from the team’s two superstars, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, despite their hefty contracts. And honestly, can you blame him? Moreno’s been at the helm since 2003 and saw some success in his first decade. But look how it’s been a rough ride of derailment since then.

Did you know the Angels haven’t sniffed the playoffs since 2014? That’s the longest drought in Major League Baseball! They haven’t even had a winning season since 2015. Talk about a rough stretch. Arte Moreno has faced a ton of heat for the decisions that fans believe contributed to this downward spiral, and after a disastrous 2024 season that saw the team rack up a franchise-record 99 losses, the critics and media are louder than ever. To calm the voices down, Moreno has come forward, sharing what he thinks went down in the team and what could be done in the future.

Was Mike Trout’s injury the reason for the franchise’s worst season?

As per reports When you look at payrolls across the league, the Angels have typically been above average, but they’re not exactly in the spending stratosphere of the big boys. Arte Moreno seems fine keeping the Angels a step below the highest spenders. This season, they even slashed around $40 million from the 2023 payroll, just shy of the luxury-tax threshold. A big chunk of that came from Shohei Ohtani’s $30 million salary vanishing off the books—thanks to his move to the Dodgers!

But the problem came when a staggering $75.7 million—almost 44% of their total payroll—was spent on players who spent more time on the injured list than on the field. Arte Moreno didn’t hold back, saying, “It’s a little bit hard to be in a situation where there’s $72-73 million and they give us no production.” And honestly, who could blame him? With Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon barely making appearances, playing just 29 and 57 games respectively, it’s a tough situation to digest. Stats are also terrible for them.

Trout batted .220 with a .867 OPS, which is pretty lackluster for someone of his talent. On the other hand, Rendon has a .218 average with a .574 OPS and no home runs all season. That is awful when we consider that Anthony Rendon’s payroll salary is $38,571,428 and Mike Trout’s is $37,116,666. IT’s a huge amount for a team not recognized as the spenders.

Plus, this isn’t the first season they have been sidelined; both the sidelines have been hurt for much of the past four seasons. Mike Trout hasn’t played a full season ever since 2019. Not only, Moreno, GM Perry Minasian, who signed a two-year extension in late August, is also concerned about the situation. Just a fea days back, he also took a dig at the two veteran players in his annual end-of-season press conference at Angel Stadium.

We need them to be better. It’s not a lack of effort. It just is what it is, but they understand how important they are, and from a payroll standpoint, they take up a significant chunk of the payroll. So when your best players aren’t playing, it makes it more difficult.” Minasian said. “There’s been significant money spent on the payroll, it comes back to the players we’re spending on. And we need our best players to play. They know that. With that being said, we definitely need more players,” he had further added. Meanwhile, Mark Trout has something to say.

Trout feels there is something else apart from his setbacks responsible for nine straight years of losing records. So Trout boldly called out none other than Moreno—a move that would have seemed unthinkable in the past. But with everything going south, Trout couldn’t help but say, “It’s all up to the owner. I think that’s where we’re at.” He believes that a few key additions in the offseason could’ve made things better for the team. But that didn’t happen, and according to Ron Washington, it looks like there won’t be any new faces anytime soon. But Moreno has another plan, too.

What are Arte Moreno’s plans for 2025?

Arte Moreno is ready to shake things up for the Angels, focusing on infusing young talent to revitalize the roster. At 78, Moreno is understandably frustrated—watching Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon spend more time on the bench than on the field has been tough. Yet, amidst the setbacks, he’s found a spark of excitement in the new faces stepping up. Moreno and Minasian are united in their vision: build a team that can genuinely compete by 2025, one that’s not just held together by a few big names but is solid from top to bottom.

So, can we expect some blockbuster signings for the Angels this offseason? Probably not.

Moreno’s strategy isn’t about splurging on another superstar—no more massive contracts like Trout’s. Instead, he’s focusing on building depth, on finding those players who can step in when injuries strike. It’s about resilience.

While Moreno is open to spending, he’s not looking to throw cash at big names just for the headlines. This time, the goal is to assemble a squad of young, hungry talents that can fill out the bench and provide real value. So, don’t hold your breath for a flashy signing—it’s about finding the next generation of stars, the ones who can rise to the occasion when it matters most.

Together, Moreno and Minasian are eyeing players in the 25-26 age bracket, aiming to inject the right mix of youth and experience to propel the Angels back into playoff contention. Minasian has already spoken optimistically about youngsters like Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, Jose Soriano, Jack Kochanowicz, and Ben Joyce.

“It’s a frustrating year for all of us. I’ll be the first one to say that. But big picture, I’m really excited where this thing’s going. I’ve been in situations like this in other organizations where we’ve had tough seasons. But you can usually point to a season where things change, not necessarily in the win-loss column, but where players took huge leaps and caused a jump in wins and a jump to contention. We needed a young core to build around and we finally have it,” Minasian had said

According to the GM, relying on the youth during this season is something that the team has not done previously. This is going to pay the team well in the coming days, he believes. Of course, it’s not just about adding fresh talent—staying healthy is key too. Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon need to step up, both on the field and in terms of staying fit. If the Angels can make progress in both areas, maybe—just maybe—2025 won’t be the nightmare that 2024 turned out to be.

It’s a new direction, a different kind of rebuild, but one that could finally see the Angels breakthrough. What do you think? Are these changes enough to see the Angels soar again? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!