The Los Angeles Angels were among the biggest losers when the Detroit Tigers went on a late surge to capture the American League's final Wild Card berth. Not only did the Tigers leapfrog two teams in the standings to continue their season, they ended the longest active postseason drought in — an ignominious distinction they shared with the Angels. Now, the Angels stand alone as the team that's gone the longest between postseason appearances, having last qualified for a playoff berth in 2014.
There are myriad reasons why the Angels have suffered in the standings. Recently, owner Arte Moreno increased payroll in 2023 to the edge of baseball's first Competitive Balance tax threshold at the trade deadline, only to fall short in the end. Moreno trimmed payroll by about $40 million going into the 2024 season, relying on a mostly younger roster while weathering the prolonged absence of injured star Mike Trout, who never returned after tearing his meniscus early in the season.
The result? The Angels' 63-99 record was the worst in the history of a franchise that began play in 1961. In an exclusive interview Saturday , Moreno said he'll increase the team's payroll in an effort to return to the postseason in 2025. "It's going to go up," Moreno told Jeff Fletcher.
The owner even indicated how much he's willing to spend, "we won't go there again" in reference to the edge of the luxury tax threshold. pegged the Angels' final 2023 payroll at $215 million and their 2024 payroll at $176 mil.
