Stan Kroenke's purchase of Angels has made Cardinals a new AL rival

At long last, the Los Angeles Angels are being freed from their prison under the reign of Arte Moreno. One of baseball's least popular owners has finally agreed to sell the franchise for a record amount, ushering in a new era under... Stan Kroenke.

There will be a ton of fallout from this decision in the greater baseball landscape. This marks yet another new, powerful owner joining the league's ranks just months ahead of an existential lockout. It also raises the valuation bar for competing MLB franchises, which might mean more sales are on the horizon.

But, even if we just narrow the scope to St. Louis, it's obvious how a Kroenke-owned team will immediately draw the ire of this city.

Under Stan Kroenke, Angels suddenly have a myriad of ties to St. Louis and Cardinals

Believe it or not, there's quite a bit of overlap between the Halos and Redbirds these days, starting with old friend John Mozeliak. The longtime Cardinals general manager has since taken over the same role for the Angels on an interim basis, though there have been rumblings in recent weeks that he could earn the permanent job after strong performances in the draft and at the trade deadline. If he does stick around Anaheim, the expectation is that he'll poach a few names from St. Louis' front office, including director of scouting Randy Flores.

However, that calculus could change with a new owner in place. Beyond any personal preference from Kroenke's end of things, there's also the fact that Mozeliak publicly voiced his displeasure for the owner's decision to move the Rams to Los Angeles a decade ago.

It's not like Mozeliak was alone in that sentiment, of course; it was a wildly unpopular move with Gateway City locals for obvious reasons, not to mention plenty of NFL fans who feared the precedent Kroenke was setting (the Chargers and Raiders have moved out of their mid-market homes for Los Angeles and Las Vegas, respectively, in subsequent years). There's a strong chance he and Kroenke can push the water under the bridge and move forward together.

Regardless of what happens with Mozeliak -- or even possibly Albert Pujols, who could rejoin the running for the Angels' long-term manager job after being shut out last offseason -- there's no way for Kroenke to avoid ruffling some feathers in St. Louis. He'll always be the target of ire around here, even more so now when the Halos come to town to play an away series.

From a larger baseball perspective, perhaps he'll be the one to finally turn the Angels around. He's won championships in the NBA (Nuggets), NHL (Avalanche), and NFL (Rams). All he's missing from his trophy room is a World Series title.

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