You're not wrong on Minasian, but he's a first-time GM** trying to do his job with one hand tied behind his back.
**as all Arte's GMs are because he can't handle having a strong personality pushing back on his meddling, so now strong personalities aren't interested in coming here
Ultimately this comes back to Moreno not being willing to pay a good GM or give that GM the resources they need to remake the entire organization into one that can draft, develop, and acquire quality players. I have no hope that this team will ever be good while Moreno owns them. The best possible result is that they get so lucky one year that they sneak into the playoffs as a wild card in a down year league-wide. That's the best possible scenario and it will probably end in them losing two straight games on the road. We won't even get a playoff game in Anaheim.
Yup. Arte tightened his purse string, which is why he denied accepting the contract Ohtani presented to him to match the Dodgers' offer. Should have traded Ohtani at the TDL so that your GM can properly build a team!!! But no, we got nothing for Ohtani and you knew you weren't going to keep him! >> insert all expletives <<<
Arte isn't the only GM tightening their purse string, the Mariners' owner has done it for the past two off-seasons. Only good thing is the Mariners' owner doesn't get involved in baseball operations. That lets Dipoto do wheeling and dealing a billion times each season to fit into the tight budget.
Minisian can only do so much when his predecessor, Eppler, only drafted one pitcher in the first round in the five drafts he did. During that time, Dipoto drafted quite a few pitchers in the 1st round in Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Emerson Hancock. The Angels could have had Kirby, but Eppler decided on picking SS Will Wilson five picks earlier!!!
Also, Moreno doesn't sign top end pitchers after Wilson. Arte chose to sign FA Hamilton and lose a 1st round pick instead of retaining Greinke for the same $25 mil. smh.