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MLB Insider Believes Angels Would Have Sold at Trade Deadline if Not for Arte Moreno

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Sam Garcia | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Angels had to decide whether they wanted to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Despite trailing multiple teams in the American League Wild Card race, the Halos took a risk and most stayed pat (while buying a little) at the deadline.

The Angels acquired infielder Oswald Peraza from the New York Yankees and veteran relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia from the Washington Nationals. They didn't trade any of their pending free agents: infielder Luis Rengifo, third baseman Yoan Moncada, starting pitcher Tyler Anderson and closer Kenley Jansen

The Halos have received some criticism for jumping at the opportunity to buy when they could have sold some of these veterans for players that can help them next season.

MLB insider Robert Murray said at the National Sports Card Convention that he believes Angels owner Arte Moreno was behind the franchise’s decision to buy rather than sell.

"If (general manager Perry Minasian) had a different owner, they probably would've sold off. They would've been totally different,” Murray said. “Instead, they're trying to be competitive. Perry's trying to be convincing to the media that they are competitive. When in reality, he knows, everybody knows that team is just stuck in pure mediocrity."

Los Angeles holds the longest current postseason drought in MLB and has not played in October since 2014. Moreno knows the Angels are a struggling franchise and saw a slim opportunity to potentially return to the postseason this year.

But the Angels are now five games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third Wild Card spot and still have not managed to get above a .500 winning percentage.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Moreno was involved in trade deadline discussions but ultimately the front office wanted to keep the team together through the next two months.

“Obviously I talk to ownership,” Minasian said. “No doubt about that. I think every team talks to ownership. You talk about things, baseball operations, ownership. At the end of the day, we felt like this was the best way to go. To me, being competitive in August, being competitive in September, I think is very, very important.”

The Halos have two months to prove not selling at the deadline was the right move to make.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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