Skip to content 
With the annual General Managers Meeting in Las Vegas this week, Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said the franchise’s new ownership group has begun the process of reaching out to potential candidates for the GM position.
Speaking to reporters at the Aria Resort and Casino on Tuesday, Mozeliak said Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has a long list of candidates because it is unfamiliar with baseball operations and wanted to gather as much information as possible before the search. But the Angels are not expected to hire a GM or president of baseball operations until the sale becomes official. MLB owners are not yet scheduled to vote on it. It was originally planned to be official in early 2027.
“I made a list of those eligible candidates; they have their own list,” Mozeliak said. “We put them together, but it’s a broad list because they’re not in the baseball industry. So trying to understand how teams work or think is something they want to gather. Then, eventually, when the numbers are smaller, they’ll probably hire me more.”
Mozeliak, who will be away from the Angels when his contract expires in December, said KSE has been in contact with Kevin Demoff, president of team and media operations. Demoff is in his 18th year as president of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and oversees the operations of all the clubs he owns, including the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the MLS’s Colorado Rapids and the EPL’s Arsenal.
Mozeliak said he is content with his current role helping the Angels with day-to-day baseball operations and trying to steady the ship as the franchise transitions to new ownership. He said his main goal in the GM Meetings is to gather as much information as possible on the free agent market and trade candidates to help the next GM.
“I’m like a bartender,” Mozeliak said. “Keep the lights on. Just make sure everything’s moving forward. But really, it’s also trying to explore, understand what a potential trade might look like, and because once new management is in place, they want to be in a position where they can move as quickly as they can.”
As for a free agent signing or trade in the short term, Mozeliak said it’s possible, though it would require approval from KSE. So it doesn’t look like the Angels are planning to make any big moves with their new ownership until everything is official.
“I would imagine it would be a couple of phone calls,” Mozeliak said of roster moves. “Not like normal, right? But as long as you understand the rules of the game, it’s not too hard.”
Mozeliak also said it’s too early to know exactly what KSE wants in a GM, but noted that historically KSE has tended to hire younger GMs and managers with great success. Stan Kroenke is known for his more hands-on approach as an owner once he has the right leadership.
Rams GM Les Snead was 41 when he was hired in 2012, and coach Sean McVay was only 30 when he was brought in in ’17; Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was 37 when he was hired in 2019; Nuggets GM Tim Connolly ’13 hired at age 37; and Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was 44 when he was hired in ’16. All of them have won championships in their respective sports.
“If you look [KSE’s] hiring history is usually their model,” Mozeliak said. “They’re probably looking for someone with a long-term presence.”