Long Beach approached Anaheim Angels about moving to the city

Does the Long Beach Angels have a ring to it?

Officials in the coastal city have reached out to the Los Angeles Angels about moving the baseball team to the city and building it a new stadium on a 13-acre property on its downtown waterfront, according to the L.A. Daily News.

It’s a real possibility — the $1.8 billion Major League Baseball franchise opted out of its lease at the aging Angels Stadium last year and is reportedly only seriously considering Long Beach and Anaheim for a new stadium.

Last year, the City of Anaheim extended the Angels’ lease through 2020, giving the team some time to look at its options. And talks have reportedly been positive since Anaheim got a new mayor in Harry Sidhu in December.

Angels president John Carpino said the team was exploring all options for a renovated or new stadium.

Moving the team to Long Beach wouldn’t be as easy as calling up some movers. For one, the site hasn’t yet been evaluated for a stadium. There’s currently no understanding about what party would pay for what.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said the city was in the “early stages” of due diligence on the property.

The Angels’ current stadium was built in 1966 and has been consistently upgraded over the years, But it is still the fourth-oldest stadium in the country, just behind Dodger Stadium, which was built in 1962.

The newest MLB stadium, SunTrust Park in Atlanta, cost $1.1 billion to develop and received $400 million in public funds, according to USA Today.

Still, bringing a major league team can be a major boost to a city’s economy. And the Angels are the MLB’s eighth-most valuable team. [LADN] — Dennis Lynch