One of the more disappointing free agent signings in recent years ended with the player spending the final year of his contract away from the team. Reports from The Athletic reveal that the Los Angeles Angels and Anthony Rendon have agreed on a buyout, bringing Rendon’s time with the club to an end.
Rendon, 35, had one year and $38 million left on the seven-year, $245 million contract he signed before the 2020 MLB season. Rather than paying Rendon this amount in the upcoming season, the Angels plan to defer his contract payments for about three to five years as part of the buyout, though the exact payment details remain unclear.
Rendon was highly sought after as a free agent following the 2019 MLB season, coming off six impressive years with a batting average of .293/.374/.500, along with 129 home runs and strong defensive skills at third base. He earned MVP votes in four of those seasons, finishing third in MVP voting just before becoming a free agent.
The Angels took a big risk by signing the then-29-year-old to a huge deal shortly after extending Mike Trout with a $430 million contract, aiming to pair Trout with a strong complementary player to lead the team back to the playoffs.
Initially, the move seemed promising. Despite the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Rendon hit .286/.418/.497 over 52 games and secured a top-10 spot in MVP voting. However, injuries derailed his performance starting in 2021, limiting him to only 58 games that year. Over five seasons, Rendon played just 257 of 1,032 possible games due to injuries and surgeries.
His production dwindled significantly after 2020, hitting just .231/.329/.336 across 206 games in the following four seasons. Rendon missed the entire 2025 season due to hip surgery and was expected to play in 2026 before the buyout agreement.
Rendon also faced controversy in 2023 after angrily confronting an Athletics fan post-game, grabbing the fan’s shirt and using expletives. MLB initially suspended him for five games, later reduced to four on appeal.
The Angels effectively moved on from Rendon in 2026 after his injury-plagued tenure. While general manager Perry Minassian initially had no updates on a buyout, he did not dismiss the possibility, supporting the reports. This move frees up funds for the Angels to pursue new free-agent talent as they attempt to rebuild.
Already active this offseason, the Angels acquired pitcher Grayson Rodriguez and infielder Vaughn Grissom via trades and signed relievers Drew Pomerantz, Kirby Yates, and Jordan Romano. With a disappointing 72-90 record last season and last place in the AL West, the team aims to rebound from years of underperformance and long postseason droughts.
Fan Take: This development underscores how high-risk, high-reward contracts can backfire in baseball, impacting both player careers and team finances. For fans, it signals a potential shift for the Angels as they reset, which could shake up the competitive landscape of the league moving forward.
