Moreno: Angels won't leave Angel Stadium before 2029

TEMPE, Ariz. - Owner Arte Moreno is committed to long-term improvements to both the Los Angeles Angels' roster and their venerable stadium.

The Angels will remain in Angel Stadium until at least 2029, Moreno said Saturday after their entire roster reported to Arizona for the first full workout of spring.

Moreno also believes the Angels will soon be in better financial shape to pursue baseball's top players this year and beyond, boosting their chances of building a winner around two-time AL MVP Mike Trout.

The Angels could opt out of their lease at their city-owned ballpark in 2019, and they have examined opportunities to build a new stadium nearby. Instead, Moreno confirmed the Angels will stay in the majors' fourth-oldest park for at least the next 13 seasons while making yearly additions to an estimated $40 million in improvements during his ownership, which began in 2003.

"It's going to take some time to get ourselves prepared to see which direction we're going to go," Moreno said of the possibility of building a new ballpark. "We have flexibility, but acquiring land and getting a proper partner and getting prepared in California is a three-, four-year process."

After 2029, the Angels have three three-year lease options to stay in the stadium through 2038.

Angel Stadium opened in 1966 as Anaheim Stadium, built on acres of former orange groves as the home for the Los Angeles area's AL expansion team. Only Dodger Stadium (1962), Wrigley Field (1914) and Fenway Park (1912) are older.

Angel Stadium hardly shows its age in most areas, however. In the Angels' latest round of yearly improvements this winter, they installed new lights, improved the visitors' clubhouse, added new concourse lighting and upgraded the suites.

"So that's probably a good sign," said Moreno, who made his fortune in outdoor advertising. "If we were leaving, we wouldn't be spending a million and a half bucks to put new lights up."