The Angels' lack of investment in their player development department is nothing new. In a 2022 interview, a former Angels executive told the Southern California News Group that owner Arte Moreno began shifting his spending priorities away from the farm system and toward "flashy free agent signings" more than a decade ago, beginning with Vladimir Guerrero and Bartolo Colon "and leading to everybody since."When those free agent signings fall short of expectations, you get a team on pace to lose 90 or more games for the third consecutive season, which the Angels are through June 23 (33-48).Wins and losses at the major league level are just scratching the surface of the knockdown effects of Moreno's spending habits. While the Angels are quick to tout the wins and losses of their minor league affiliates, the business of developing future major league talent requires a different toolkit — one the Angels have struggled with for years.Earlier today, the @RCQuakes visited Angel Stadium after wrapping up the first half of the California League season last week.At 36-30, the Quakes helped cap a strong first half for the Angels farm, with all six minor league affiliates finishing above .500 for the first time… pic.twitter.com/lhDMzcIkNp— Angels Player Development (@AngelsPlayerDev) June 23, 2026In its annual survey of current MLB players, The Athletic asked respondents to identify which organizations have a bad reputation. The Angels drew votes from 14 of the 73 players who answered the question. Only four teams — the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Athletics and Chicago White Sox — were cited more often.“They have no idea how to make anyone better at anything,” one pitcher said of the Angels. “And that’s from guys who worked there. They have no idea what’s going on.”Some fans — namely those who have protested Moreno's ownership — have already said as much, in so many words. But to hear it from a player is rare. Those still in the organization are less likely to criticize their employer than those who have passed through. Generally speaking, players aren't often asked about their former teams, or volunteer critical quotes on the record even when they are.But there is ample evidence of players who have gone on to bigger and better things after leaving the Angels organization — Brandon Marsh, Mike Clevinger, Kyle Bradish, Janson Junk, to name a few. Shohei Ohtani was an MVP in Anaheim. In Los Angeles, he has become both a Top-10 hitter and pitcher in the sport.The phenomenon is not merely limited to players. Former Angels manager Joe Maddon has been critical of the organization for not allowing coaches to develop their instincts independent of data-driven decisions. This suggests a matter of philosophy more than mere dollars and cents. It's a multi-faceted problem, but one that might not require many words to summarize.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow