Trout welcomes Angels sale to Kroenke

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout expressed excitement about the team's impending sale to billionaire Stan Kroenke, calling the ownership change a fresh start after more than two decades under Arte Moreno. The deal, reportedly agreed to in principle on September 2, 2026, is valued at $4 billion, making it a record-setting transaction for a Major League Baseball franchise. Trout, who has spent his entire 16-year major league career with the Angels, said he holds no ill feelings toward Moreno, who purchased the team in 2003. "You kind of felt it was needed," Trout stated, adding that there is a "good vibe" around the clubhouse and stadium. He indicated his own future with the team remains unchanged, saying, "I'm super excited to meet him, talk to him and get to know him a little bit and see where it goes." The sale marks the end of Moreno's 23-year ownership tenure, during which the Angels won five championships between 2004 and 2009. However, the team has not won a postseason game in 17 years, a drought that fueled fan frustration. Under Moreno, the Angels reached the playoffs only once with Trout, a sweep in the 2014 ALDS, despite later rostering fellow superstar Shohei Ohtani.