Angels interim GM John Mozeliak says new ownership is reaching out for GM candidates at MLB General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The annual MLB General Managers Meetings are underway in Las Vegas, and Los Angeles Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said the club’s new ownership group is starting the process of contacting potential candidates for the franchise’s next general manager role. Mozeliak, speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the Aria Resort and Casino, described a broad outreach effort while KSE builds information before narrowing the list.

Mozeliak said the candidate pool is intentionally wide because KSE, the group that is expected to take over the Angels, is “not as familiar with baseball operations” and wants to gather as much information as possible ahead of its search. He also indicated that both the Angels’ interim leadership and KSE have been compiling lists of qualifying candidates, which were then consolidated, resulting in a “wide list” that can be refined later as the process advances.

The Angels, according to Mozeliak, are not expected to hire a general manager or president of baseball operations until the sale becomes official. He said MLB owners have not yet been scheduled to vote on the transaction, and that the initial target for the sale to be completed was early 2027. That timing, as described by Mozeliak, frames the near-term decision-making window for the organization as it transitions from interim leadership to a new baseball operations hierarchy.

Mozeliak said he plans to remain involved through the meetings, with his main focus being the collection of information that could help the next GM. He described his objective at the GM Meetings as gathering “intel” on the free-agent market and on trade candidates that could fit the Angels’ needs once new leadership is in place.

In describing his interim role, Mozeliak said he has been content with helping manage the Angels’ day-to-day baseball operations while the franchise transitions to new ownership. He characterized his function with a metaphor of “an innkeeper,” saying the priority is keeping operations moving forward while also assessing what potential trades could look like, so the organization is prepared to act quickly after new leadership arrives.

While acknowledging that roster moves are possible in the short term, Mozeliak said any free-agent signings or trades would likely require clearance from KSE. He suggested the Angels do not plan to make major moves until the ownership situation is finalized, tying the ability to operate decisively to the formal completion of the sale.

Mozeliak also addressed how quickly decisions might be made once new leadership is in place, noting that making changes would likely involve “a couple phone calls,” while emphasizing that the process would depend on having an understanding of the applicable “playing rules.” In the same context, he reiterated that the current period is not a normal operating setup given the ownership transition and the pending formalities.

Regarding KSE’s preferences for the next front-office leader, Mozeliak said it is too early to know exactly what the ownership group wants in a general manager. However, he provided context about KSE’s historical approach, saying that based on KSE’s track record, the group tends to hire younger general managers and managers who have shown success, and that Stan Kroenke is known to take a more hands-off approach once the appropriate leadership is in place.

Mozeliak illustrated that point by referencing examples from other Kroenke Sports & Entertainment holdings across leagues. He cited the hiring of Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead at age 41 in 2012 and head coach Sean McVay at age 30 when brought on in 2017, along with Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta being hired at age 37 in 2019. He also referenced the Denver Nuggets hiring of general manager Tim Connolly at age 37 in 2013 and the Colorado Avalanche hiring of head coach Jared Bednar at age 44 in 2016, stating that each of those leaders has won a championship in their respective sport.

Alongside those comments about profile and leadership style, Mozeliak said his engagement with the broader ownership transition is tied to ongoing coordination with KSE executives. He said he has been in contact with Kevin Demoff, KSE’s president of team and media operations, who Mozeliak described as being in his 18th year as team president for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and as overseeing operations for KSE-owned clubs including the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the Colorado Rapids of MLS, and the English Premier League’s Arsenal.

Finally, Mozeliak said his role as interim general manager is time-limited, noting that he will step away from the Angels once his contract expires in December. That makes the General Managers Meetings a critical period for him to gather information and for the Angels to document decision-ready options while the club waits for the sale process, including the yet-unscheduled MLB ownership vote, to move from expectation to official approval.

With the Angels’ next front-office hire dependent on the sale becoming official, Mozeliak’s remarks place the upcoming GM selection process—and the ownership-driven narrowing of candidates—at the centre of the team’s offseason planning. For now, the club is operating under a transitional framework in which information gathering can proceed, but major roster actions are expected to wait for KSE clearance and the formal completion of the transaction.