Arte Moreno Reveals New Details on Failed Pursuit of All-Star Hitter Last Offseason

Following the departure of Shohei Ohtani last winter, the Los Angeles Angels largely refrained from participating in the free-agent market.

Their most significant move was signing right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson to a three-year, $33 million contract.

However, in an interview with the Southern California News Group, owner Arte Moreno revealed another veteran that he "made a run at."

Moreno said as they got into spring training they made a run at designated hitter J.D. Martinez before he signed with the New York Mets.

Moreno stated that the Angels extended a one-year offer to Martinez valued at "around $12 million, with no deferrals." Martinez ultimately signed with the Mets for the same amount, but his contract included only $4.5 million to be paid in 2024, with the remainder deferred until as late as 2038.

“We thought he was coming,” Moreno said. “We thought he would really fit well into our DH.”

With Martinez signing with the New York Mets, along with Stephenson and injuries sidelining Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon for much of the season, the Angels effectively operated as a low payroll team.

The result was a disaster.

“I hate to say it’s a terrible year because we had so much growth with our young people,” Moreno said, “but from wins and losses, it was a terrible year. Obviously, the worst year.”

Despite facing mounting criticism throughout this challenging season, Moreno remains optimistic about the franchise's future. He is encouraged by the development of the young players and is dedicated to bolstering their growth with an increased payroll.

“It’s going to go up,” Moreno said.

This season, the Angels reduced their 2023 payroll by approximately $40 million, coming close to the luxury tax limit. A significant portion of this reduction was due to Shohei Ohtani's $30 million salary no longer being on the books. Moreno stated that the Angels plan to increase their spending in 2025 compared to 2024, though it will not reach the levels of their 2023 expenditures.

“We won’t go there again,” Moreno said. “It’s just an automatic loss. If I start piling up (financial) losses, then the next year I’m going to cut.”

Moreno doesn't want to spend a ton of money next season as he figures out what to do with veterans Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout who have been on the injured list more than on the field. He is paying them a little more than $70 million combined to be injured which doesn't help the on-field product.