The Salt Lake Bees’ parent team could soon have a new owner

The Los Angeles Angels could soon be on the market.

Owner Arte Moreno is exploring the possibility of selling the franchise, which he has owned since 2003.

“It has been a great honor and privilege to own the Angels for 20 seasons,” Moreno said in a statement. “Although this difficult decision was entirely our choice and deserved a great deal of thoughtful consideration, my family and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that now is the time.”

The potential sale should be of interest to Utah sports fans.The Salt Lake Bees have been affiliated with the Angels since 2001, two years before Moreno purchased the franchise. The Angels announced last year that they would continue the partnership with the Triple-A club through the 2030 season.

The Miller family owns the Minor League Baseball team. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith’s Smith Entertainment Group manages the franchise’s operations. SEG recently sold a minority stake of itself to Arctos Sports Partners with the intention of bringing another professional sports team to Utah.

Moreno bought the franchise a year after it won the 2002 World Series. The Angels are set to miss the postseason for the eighth straight year despite featuring AL MVPs Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

Moreno’s announcement comes at a critical moment for the franchise, with Ohtani set to become a free agent after the 2024 season.

The announcement also comes as the league looks forward to expansion in the next several years. Commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN in June that he would like to see 32 MLB teams. There are currently 30.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.