John Mozeliak is the most accomplished person to sit in the Angels GM chair in franchise history. He is the first truly qualified leader of the baseball operations department since Bill Stoneman retired in 2009.
Mozeliak announced today that he will step aside once the new ownership group takes over in 2027 but that he will remain on staff to help pick the next GM. Combining Mozeliak's statements with the Angels press release stating the team is working with Kroenke in the search for a new field manager, we can discern quite a bit about the Angels future.
Stan Kroenke is Already in Charge
Both bits of news indicate that a new sheriff is in town. First the Angels announced they will work with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment to find a replacement for Kurt Suzuki. So while the official transfer of ownership will not happen until the first quarter of 2027, the real player behind the scenes is Stan Kroenke.
This is tremendous news for Angels fans. Yes, common sense would indicate Kroenke's team will take an active role, but today's press release confirms that Angels fans can finally rejoice in the fact Arte Moreno's tenure is over.
John Mozeliak Will Continue to Operate as General Manager
This is a massive bit of news. Until the Angels find his replacement, Mozeliak will continue to honor his contract and run the team. As we have seen in his short time at the helm, Mozeliak operates with a level of autonomy not granted to previous Angels GMs.
Given both Mozeliak's pedigree and the changing ownership dynamic, expect Mozeliak to continue building the team as he best sees fit until he hands over the reigns. This means the Angels will not sit on the sidelines when free agency begins and that trades are still very much on the table.
In his four plus months as Angels GM, Mozeliak helped oversee a draft that was widely respected in baseball circles then pulled off several big time trades that greatly kickstarted the Angels rebuild. Mozeliak added the scorching hot prospect Arjun Nimmala which looks like an incredible move and helped the Angels farm system rise from bottom of the barrel to middle of the pack.
Overall, Mozeliak's tenure has been a godsend for the franchise and Angels fans should expect to continue seeing him make big moves.
Kroenke Will Hire a President of Baseball Operations
This is a major step. Most Major League Baseball teams have a POBO that oversees all aspects of the baseball operations department. A General Manager reports to the POBO as do the heads of scouting and minor league operations. This arrangement allows for departments to specialize in different aspects of running a club and have a leader who coordinates all departments.
Under Arte Moreno, the Angels front office has never had this arrangement. Moreno was notoriously cheap when it came to front office staffing and player development. Kroenke, however, realizes that winning on the field starts with competent leaders in the executive suite.
The Angels are joining the big boys club in MLB.
The Angels Will Hire a New General Manager
Obviously, the Angels will need to hire a new general manager at some point. By having a competent placeholder in Mozeliak, they can take their time to make sure they nail the hire. Kroenke's decision on front office hires is easily the most important move he will make as a new owner.
With Mozeliak still in the fold it is fair to wonder how much influence he will have over the hire. Prior to leaving the St. Louis Cardinals, he groomed his replacement and built quite a tree. I looked at three Cardinals staffers who could become the next Angels GM and I still think Randy Flores is the betting line favorite if Mozeliak gets his preference.
But the net will obviously be cast quite wide. Stan Kroenke buys teams to turn them into winners and his real estate background tells him he needs to find a quality architect. The Cardinals are a solid mid market team and the Angels should emulate their scouting and player development programs. But with Kroenke's established history of hiring top notch executives, expect to see candidates from the Brewers, Rays, even the Dodgers getting interviews.
A New Field Manager Will Follow
General managers love to hire their own field manager. As we have discussed, there is no rush in deciding on a field manager at this time. Establishing a front office is far more important. Once the baseball operations department has a leader, the team will have a leader.
Rumors of an Albert Pujols hire have swirled since Mozeliak took over the franchise but I doubt that will happen. Kroenke likes proven leaders who integrate data and work with the front office. Pujols is unproven and known to follow his own path. Who will become the next Angels manager remains to be seen but here are some interesting candidates.
This is the Best of Both Worlds for the Angels
Having a proven winner running the team while another proven winner builds out a front office of the future is the best case scenario for the franchise. In this case there is both continuity in John Mozeliak's staff continuing to build the talent base and change on the horizon under Kroenke.
The Angels will not be paralyzed when the off season starts. But they will not stagnate as a franchise, either, once new talent is brought on board. Mozeliak will continue making shrewd moves to help the franchise, likely help find the new GM, then hand the team off to what is assuredly going to be a fully staffed front office of qualified candidates.
Mozeliak never signed on to be the long term answer for the Angels. He wanted to help craft the next baseball operations department and leave the team in capable hands. Today's announcement solidifies that plan and lets Angels fans know Kroenke, a winner, is the one making the big decisions.
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