Arturo “Arte” Moreno’s spending spree for his Anaheim Angels will cost him nearly $1 million in luxury taxes.
The Angels, along with the world champion Boston Red Sox and the perennially big-spending New York Yankees, are the three Major League Baseball teams that must pay the sport’s luxury tax, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner’s office.
Anaheim’s tax bill was $927,059 on its total 2004 season player payroll of $115.6 million. The Angels’ payroll, thanks to big-spending owner Moreno, skyrocketed to third in MLB this year, compared to 12th in 2003 with an $80 million payroll.
For Anaheim, this is the first time it hast to pay the new luxury tax, which was instituted in 2003. The Angels’ bill is relatively miniscule compared to the Yankees’ $25 million tax and Boston’s $3.2 million bill for exceeding the payroll threshold of $120.5 million.
Moreno, who bought the Angels in early 2003 for some $184 million, opened his coffers in the off-season, committing more than $140 million to players in a successful run at the American League West title.
Moreno’s shopping spree netted Vladimir Guerrero, the slugging outfielder who won the 2004 American League MVP award, starting pitchers Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar, along with controversial outfielder Jose Guillen, who was later traded to the Washington-bound former Montreal Expo franchise.
