ANAHEIM -- Angels owner Arte Moreno surprised many when he announced last week that he decided he wouldn’t sell the club after exploring a possible sale since late August.

Moreno was widely expected to sell the Angels and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred even said at the Winter Meetings that the process was going well and that he was hopeful a sale would happen before the start of the season. But Moreno ultimately decided he wanted to remain owner and announced on Jan. 24 that the club is not for sale.

It has ripple effects throughout the organization, including the front office and coaching staff. A new owner could’ve come in and started with a clean slate across the organization, but now, that’s much less likely with Moreno still in charge. General manager Perry Minasian’s contract runs through 2024, and manager Phil Nevin signed a one-year deal after serving as the interim skipper for 106 games last season after Joe Maddon was dismissed.

Minasian and Nevin have something to prove this season, but at least they know who the owner will be going forward and won’t have to worry about new ownership coming in and changing things up.

But the big question is how it’ll affect two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is set to be a free agent after the season. Ohtani signed a one-year deal worth $30 million on Oct. 1 to avoid arbitration but wasn’t expected to explore an extension until the new ownership was in place.

With Moreno remaining as owner, Ohtani and his representative, Nez Balelo, could explore an extension at any time. But Ohtani is more likely to see if the Halos can finally build a winner around him and fellow superstar Mike Trout.

The Angels have yet to finish above .500 since Ohtani signed with the club before the 2018 season. He’s stated in the past that winning is the most important thing to him, and he’s going to have to believe they can build a winning franchise going forward.

It makes this upcoming season even more important for the Angels, who are aiming for their first postseason berth since 2014. It doesn’t figure to be easy, however, as the division remains tough with the Astros, Mariners and Rangers all postseason contenders as well.

The Halos have been willing to spend this offseason and have addressed the depth issues that plagued them last year. Most recently, they signed outfielder Brett Phillips to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million  and have also signed left-hander Tyler Anderson, infielder Brandon Drury and reliever Carlos Estévez to multiyear deals, while also trading for outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela. 

The club's payroll is now at roughly $206 million, a step up from the final payroll of $180 million in 2022. For competitive balance tax purposes, the Angels' 40-man payroll sits at roughly $221 million, and the first tax threshold is $233 million.

So, the Halos are trying to build a competitive roster, but now, we’ll have to see how it plays out and if it’s enough for Ohtani to want to re-sign with the club. It’s simply still too early to know what Ohtani will decide and whether Moreno’s decision not to sell will have any impact on that decision.

Ohtani’s potential free agency will be the talk of baseball going forward, as he’s expected to command more than the $426.5 million contract that Trout signed before the 2019 season. Moreno’s decision not to sell is just the latest twist in the Ohtani saga, which will be worth monitoring throughout 2023.

Former Angels outfielders Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter and closer Francisco Rodríguez received enough votes to remain on the Hall of Fame ballot next year. Abreu, on the ballot for the fourth time, received 15.4 percent of the votes, up from 8.6 percent last year. Hunter, in his third year on the ballot, received 6.9 percent after 5.3 percent last year. Rodríguez received 10.8 percent of the votes in his first year of eligibility.

A player must receive five percent of the vote to remain on the ballot. Right-hander John Lackey, closer Huston Street and catcher Mike Napoli each received one vote, and right-hander Jered Weaver didn’t appear on any ballots. It's considered an honor to be on the ballot regardless, as a player must have 10 years of service time to qualify.

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe and shortstop Zach Neto were ranked on MLB Pipeline’s newest Top 100 Prospects list. O’Hoppe landed at No. 53 on the list, and Neto is ranked No. 89. O’Hoppe, acquired in the trade that sent outfielder Brandon Marsh to the Phillies, made his Major League debut in September and is expected to compete for backup-catcher duties this Spring Training. Neto was the club’s first-round Draft pick in 2022 and has already reached Double-A Rocket City. Neto could reach the Majors by late next season if he keeps up the production he showed in ’22.

O’Hoppe recently spoke with MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo about last year’s trade and the upcoming season, and you can watch the video here.

Who was the club’s first player to be named an All-Star Game MVP?

A) Mike Trout
B) Fred Lynn
C) Garret Anderson
D) Leon Wagner

In honor of Abreu nearly doubling his voting total on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot, here’s a look at the walk-off solo homer he hit in the 10th inning against the Royals on Aug. 11, 2010. Abreu had 20 homers and 24 stolen bases with the Angels that season, and had nine such seasons during his underrated 18-year career.

D. Wagner, who won the All-Star Game MVP Award in 1962. He homered in the game, which was the second All-Star Game held that year. Maury Wills was the MVP in the first Midsummer Classic that season.

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