It's Arte Moreno's prerogative, as owner of the Los Angeles Angels, to jump into his team's baseball operations decisions anytime he chooses. He amassed the fortune necessary to buy the franchise, and it's his money that funds the paychecks of Mike Trout, manager Joe Maddon and new general manager Perry Minasian. To say that baseball owners at least occasionally get involved in the business of roster-building is basically redundant.
But even by that loose industry standard, Moreno has a reputation for being a tough boss, for sometimes being the wrench in the decision-making, executing some deals himself (the signing of Albert Pujols, for example) and calling off others (like when he nixed the deal for the Dodgers' Joc Pederson last winter). It'll be up to Minasian to get his work done within Arte's universe.
The Angels are in a window of opportunity, because of the competitive context in the American League West. The perception of other teams is that the Rangers and Mariners won't be competitive for a while, because they are in the early stages of rebuilds. The Oakland Athletics won the division this year, but as always, their limited payroll forces them into difficult decisions constantly. The Astros will be a team in transition in 2021, without the injured Justin Verlander and without George Springer, the free-agent outfielder who is expected to land elsewhere.
The Angels, on the other hand, are constructed around Trout, one of the best players in baseball history, right in the prime of his career. They have Anthony Rendon, one of the game's best pure hitters. Their pitching rotation has been a debilitating problem, but the Angels now have Dylan Bundy to anchor the group. But help is needed around that core -- a lot of it.
Moreno is on the record having said the team's payroll is not going to be reduced. But the question will be, can it grow? And what choices will Minasian make to improve the club, within the challenges of working for Moreno? Minasian addressed the team's need for a shortstop the other day, adding Jose Iglesias in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, after Iglesias posted his best offensive season.
I reached out to a bunch of people who have worked for Moreno in the past and asked what advice they would give to Minasian, and their feedback was definitive.