The Angels recently opted out of their stadium lease, which would have locked them into their current ballpark until 2028. Since then, the two sides have made a new agreement to have the Angels in Anaheim until 2020.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Angels representatives released a statement: “We are confident that the best place for the Angels is and always will be Anaheim, and the one-year extension we granted gives us the time to work out the details and craft an agreement that benefits our residents and the city,”
The city of Long Beach has recently expressed interest to the Angels on exploring a possible new stadium right next to the waterfront in downtown Long Beach, Ca. The Angels have played in Anaheim since 1966, when the 160-acre lot was built for the halos. Their current stadium in Anaheim is currently the fourth oldest baseball venue. They’ve done steady renovations from time-to-time, but recently the Angels have been exploring other options on where they can build a new ballpark to call “home”.
The city of Long Beach wanted the Angels as their home team almost a decade ago. Well, their offer is back on the table for the Angels to move their franchise to Long Beach. With the Angels only tied to Anaheim through the 2020 season, the city of Long Beach has approached the Angels to see if they are interested this time around.
The city still has many factors to figure out before the Angels could pack up their bags and move. One of the biggest concerns is whether the ballpark configuration is practical on the site they are planning for. The parking for the ballpark would be another situation that would need to get deeply thought out. Reports have indicated that the project would be roughly $700 million to $1 billion.
Long Beach is considered Los Angeles County but the Dodgers are unable to veto the move. The Angels and Dodgers both share territorial rights to Los Angeles County. The Angels haven’t explored any options outside of the Los Angels market or Orange County.
Months ago Angels owner Arte Moreno entertained the idea of relocating to the city of Tustin. Tustin officials predicted that the stadium would be about $700 million to build. Tustin also stated that they would not provide taxpayer funding to help pay for the ballpark. Moreno decided to backpedal, as his interest level decreased when he became aware that he would have to fund everything to build the stadium. Moreno was not having it, as he doesn’t want to pay for it all without the help of the city.
“As we have stated from the beginning, we must explore all our options to secure a long-term future for the Angels and provide fans with a high-quality experience in a renovated or new ballpark,” said Angels President John Carpino.
The Angels are taking it one year at a time before deciding on a stadium change. A new ballpark typically takes two to three years to construct, so a temporary ballpark could potentially be in play for the Angels’ future.
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(Photo courtesy of ESPN)
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