Angels Begin Meeting with GM Candidates as Ownership Approval Remains on Hold

The Los Angeles Angels have taken a significant step toward finding their next general manager, even as uncertainty surrounding the franchise's ownership transition continues.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has begun preliminary meetings with candidates to lead the Angels' baseball operations, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Interim general manager John Mozeliak confirmed Monday that representatives of the incoming ownership group are meeting potential candidates during MLB's GM Meetings in Las Vegas.

The development represents progress after the organization previously delayed its search for new baseball leadership.

However, the Angels aren't expected to make a permanent hire until MLB approves the sale of the franchise from Arte Moreno to Stan Kroenke's group.

Mozeliak said the ownership transfer remains without a firm approval date.

The sale is not currently scheduled for a vote during next week's MLB owners' meetings in New York, although approval could come later through a conference call.

That uncertainty creates additional complications with a potential player lockout approaching in December.

The Angels have already announced significant changes to their baseball leadership, including the expected departure of interim general manager John Mozeliak and the decision not to retain manager Kurt Suzuki for 2027.

The incoming general manager is expected to help select Suzuki's replacement.

Mozeliak told Fletcher that he supplied Kroenke's group with a list of possible executives, including candidates currently running other organizations.

However, he does not know which candidates are participating in this week's meetings and isn't expected to be directly involved in the initial discussions.

Meanwhile, Mozeliak continues handling the Angels' offseason business, including conversations with agents and other clubs about potential transactions.

The organization is unlikely to make significant roster moves before its new leadership takes control.

That could complicate an offseason already clouded by uncertainty surrounding the ownership transition and potential lockout.

The Angels finished 62-100 in 2026, making a comprehensive organizational overhaul increasingly important.

Shortstop Zach Neto and left-hander Reid Detmers could attract trade interest, although Mozeliak declined to identify specific players the organization might consider moving.

For now, the preliminary candidate meetings represent tangible progress toward establishing the leadership structure that will guide the franchise's next chapter.

But until the ownership transfer receives approval, the Angels' ability to make sweeping changes remains limited.