What Does Angels Sale Mean For Baseball?

**Craig Carton** (0:00)
I want to get into the sale of the Angels as well, as now the report is he's going to look to build a brand new building. Did you see that?

**Chris McMonigle** (0:09)
And that stadium sucks.

**Craig Carton** (0:10)
The stadium is terrible. I just saw he's looking to put, hold on.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:14)
First time I ever went out there, 2022, the Mets did a road trip out there. They played all three Southern California teams, and they didn't have the fountain on. And I thought that's like the main reason why you go in the game.

**Craig Carton** (0:25)
Absolutely.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:26)
And it was dry, it was gross.

**Craig Carton** (0:29)
He wants to build a new $2.5 billion ballpark to replace the aging and decaying Angel Stadium, which opened in 1966
So you know what, let's just off that news. Like we briefly talked about him the other day, but the idea he wants to come in, and it's good for baseball. That was our point yesterday.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:50)
Yes, 100%.

**Craig Carton** (0:50)
Like it's good for baseball. Another owner comes in, you know, he owns a million other things. He owns the Rams, which I hate. He owns the Avalanche, right? He's filthy rich. He's coming in now to buy the Angels. He's going to influx of cash. He's going to build a new building. But there's actually a couple of different ramifications of him taking the job, and specifically right now, him buying the team from Marino right now. He comes in, he buys it for $4 billion, right? $4 billion he buys this team for. He already owns a bunch.
Garrett Cole was asked after the game yesterday about this. And I wonder if the owners are thrilled, or Major League Baseball is thrilled right now. Now, anytime there's an influx of cash, and you up the value of organizations, sure, like, I mean, on some level, Major League Baseball has to be thrilled. He came in, the valuation was $4 billion. He played for a lousy team, in a lousy building, in a lousy market, at least compared to the Dodgers.
And a team that hasn't won in forever. And I shouldn't say a lousy market, but they're the second team in the market by a mile. And they do play outside, you know, they play in Anaheim.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:01)
It's like, yeah.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:03)
It's not quite like Long Island, but it is, it's far from downtown LA, far from Dodger Stadium.

**Craig Carton** (2:09)
Right.
And they sold for $4 billion, which is more than what the Padres sold for. And I know San Diego is a different market, but they spend a ton of money. They've won and established something there. And Garry Cole spoke to us much when asked after the game. Garry Cole kind of said, and I'm paraphrasing, he's like, interesting that a team in that building, losing the way they have for this many years, sold for $4 billion. And it speaks to how well off Major League Baseball is doing financially.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:38)
Right.

**Craig Carton** (2:39)
And he was puzzled that it got the same price as a winning organization in San Diego with the Padres.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:45)
And with a beautiful stadium.

**Craig Carton** (2:47)
With a beautiful stadium.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:48)
They love the team.

**Craig Carton** (2:49)
The team that spent money, the fanbase that's been hooked in now for a while, with a team that's been winning for the most part, no championships, whatever. They spend money. They've been a really well-run franchise, even though they haven't won. And the Angels have been the antithesis of that. They've had stars, they've had the best player of the generation until Judge got here.
And they haven't won a damn thing, and yet they're still selling for $4 billion. And I wonder, like, Gary Cole kind of referenced it, and I wonder how the Players Association is going to take it and go, you got some nerve claiming poverty when an organization like the Angels goes for $4 billion.
Like, you're going to tell me we're in this financial state? Now, I know a lot of it is the idea that it's not just the financial state, it's the competitive balance, at least that's what Major League Baseball is selling. But on some level, like, hey, why can't teams that don't, like, you're going to have a tough time telling me certain teams can't do things, when even if you're a lousy organization, you get $4 billion, you turn around and decide to sell. Right. Like, why aren't you spending more? You know you can make more. Like, and then the counter argument is, well, look, the Padres spent more and got less. So, like, why would I spend money if I'm a Major League owner? My evaluation doesn't go up if I'm a winning organization. The Padres made less than the Angels did.