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Will a Salary Cap Save or Ruin the Angels?

May 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) walks off the field in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Will a Salary Cap Save or Ruin the Angels?

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Jeff Joiner | Last updated Jun 1, 2026 6:42 PM ET

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Facing a potential strike or lockout, the MLB owners and MLB Players Association are trying to strike a deal to keep baseball going in 2027 and beyond. Competitive balance is the goal for all parties as the difference between the big spenders and small markets is wider than ever.

Fans have long been clamoring for a salary cap like the NFL and NHL. A cap will limit the big spenders, but it needs to be supplemented with a floor to create true parity. Both sides seem to be on agreement on the need for a floor and the Angels payroll already exceeds the proposed floor requirement.

How would a salary cap impact the Angels payroll?

MLB owners propose a salary cap of $245.3 million which is to include player benefits (insurance, etc.). That figure is for the full 40 man roster. Combined with the additional benefits, that would leave about $233 million for the active 26 man roster.

The owner's proposed figure for a cap is in line with the first threshold of the luxury tax which is a barrier Arte Moreno has refused to break. Even with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on the team, Moreno stayed below the luxury tax line rather than splurge and shoot for a ring. In 2023, Moreno increased payroll to $232.9 million which was just under the line.

This season the Angels payroll is calculated at $187 million including Anthony Rendon's full hit. Rendon took a restructured deal so actual payroll is considerably lower. In fact, actual payroll is down about $80 million from last season's $221 million.

In short, a salary cap is not likely going to change the way the Angels operate as long as Arte owns the team. But that is the key, how long will Arte own the team?

A salary cap could impact a potential sale of the franchise for good or bad.

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

As a big market team capable of generating plenty of revenue, the Angels franchise value would likely surge with a salary cap. Any business owner would love a hard cap on their payroll expenditures; especially when big revenues are likely on the other side of the ledger.

Would this increase in franchise value finally spur Arte Moreno to listen to the fans and sell the team? Fans can only hope.

Given his age, the fact every front office and field coach is on a one year deal, and the launch of a new broadcasting network, Arte Moreno looks poised to sell the team. Waiting for a late surge in franchise value makes a lot of sense for him right now. Perhaps netting a few hundred extra million dollars could finally convince Arte to enjoy retirement.

Or would Arte think he is now on an even playing field with the Yankees and Dodgers and think he finally has a chance to really win? Time will tell.

In this case the Angels will be truly buried as the arms race moves from signing free agents to signing front office and development talent. Already well behind the winning clubs in front office personnel and scouting budget, the Angels would likely fall further behind as the large revenue clubs look for other edges.

The Angels are the rare team that both spends big and loses. It is difficult to be a cellar dwellar while having a top ten payroll, but the Angels pull it off. That is due to bad drafting, bad scouting, bad coaching on the way up the ladder, and an owner who signs his major league coaches to one year deals rather than looking for top tier candidates. None of that will change with a salary cap.

If the salary cap and subsequent increase in franchise valuation can combine to finally get the Angels under a good ownership team they have the potential to save the team. New ownership is not a guarantee but Angels fans have seen exactly what Arte is able to accompish: the longest postseason drought in MLB.

But if the cap encourages Arte to hang onto the franchise, it will doom the Angels for the foreseeable future.

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

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