  During the most recent round of CBA negotiations between owners and the MLBPA, the biggest story, aside from a potential work stoppage, was the threat of contraction. Commissioner/owner Bud Selig claimed that it was not financially viable for some teams to remain in operation. These teams couldn't compete with the successful clubs because they couldn't handle the payroll necessary to attract good enough players to win. Among the teams mentioned as contraction candidates: - The 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins, who defeated the Mighty Yankees and now have more WS titles than the Phillies despite playing about 10% the number of WS-era seasons. - The Oakland Athletics, who have won 90+ games and made the playoffs in each of the last 4 seasons. - The Minnesota Twins, who have won 85 or more games the past 3 seasons, as well as the AL Central in each of the past 2 seasons. As you can see, Mr. Selig is a bona fide idiot. Which brings us to perhaps the most interesting case study of teams once destined for contraction: the Anaheim Angels.
Yes, the lowly Angels, in the small market confines of Los Angeles, just aren't able to compete with the big boys, said Selig. But low and behold, in 2002, they sneak into the playoffs as the AL wild card team, beating out the vaunted Boston Red Sox. Then they eliminated the Yankees, ending their 4-year pennant-winning run. Alas, another series win, this time against the aforementioned Twins to win the AL pennant and a trip to the World Series.
And despite facing a determined Barry Bonds, having his best postseason ever, and the San Francisco Giants.... they won again. Disney, owners of the Angels, were ecstatic. They'd escaped the shadow of the Dodgers. They'd formed their own identity. So what's their next logical step? Sell the team, of course! Arte Moreno stepped up to buy the team, and hasn't done nothing but endear himself to the fans. His first act as owner? Lower beer prices at Angels Stadium. What a way to start off your tenure. The fans loved him already. Then came the most recent offseason, Moreno's first as team owner. The Angels have been notoriously burned when they've ventured into the major free agent market. The signing of Mo Vaughn in 1999 was a disaster, one that had kept the Angels from making another big splash signing.
Then, Moreno opened up his wallet and committed almost $150 million to sign pitchers Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar, and outfielders Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Guillen. So far, the results have been mixed. Guerrero is the frontrunner for AL MVP, and Guillen has been surprisingly better than expected. On the other hand, Colon and Escobar have been disappointing. Now, Moreno is trying his hand at the draft. Many believed that Long Beach State RHP Jered Weaver was the top prospect in this year's draft. However, following the Padres' lead, 11 teams passed on Weaver, unwilling to meet his bonus demands. Guess who had the 12th pick? The Angels snatched up Weaver, another sign that Moreno is willing to invest money into signing players.
Moreno's short tenure is starting to resemble George Steinbrenner's. He's willing to put in the money, even out of his own pocket, if he thinks it will make the team better. And I think its good for baseball. Let's face it, when you hear Selig or your local owner complain that he's losing money on an annual basis, it's mostly BS. If owning a baseball franchise is so unprofitable, why haven't more owners bowed out? These guys have made their fortunes on being good businessmen, and they wouldn't hold onto a franchise if they kept losing money.
That's just reality. That means a lot of the owners, many of whom are now faceless corporations, have been and continue to pocket the profits, while complaining publicly that they have to slash payroll in order to stay afloat. You know you suck as an owner when profit margins are more important than winning percentage. While he's often villified by the public, Steinbrenner refuses to sacrifice winning for profit. And it seems like Arte Moreno is willing to do the same. And I find that quite refreshing. 
