In a significant shift for the Los Angeles Angels, third baseman Anthony Rendon will no longer be the highest-paid player at his position in Major League Baseball (MLB). Following a mutual decision to restructure the final year of his contract, Rendon’s $38 million for this season will now be distributed over the next three to five years. Unfortunately, he is expected to miss the entire season as he continues to recover from injuries.
Rendon’s Contract: A Cautionary Tale
The restructuring of Rendon’s deal hasn’t altered the perception that his contract might be one of the worst in MLB history. When he signed with the Angels, the contract seemed justifiable; Rendon was fresh off a World Series win with the Washington Nationals in 2019, where he achieved career-highs in home runs (34) and RBIs (126), leading the league in the latter. He was seen as a prime asset to complement superstar outfielder Mike Trout and emerging talent Shohei Ohtani.
The Downward Spiral
However, Rendon’s performance quickly deteriorated. While he had a competent season in the 2020 COVID-19-shortened year, injuries soon took center stage. He suffered numerous setbacks, including groin and hamstring strains, hip impingements, wrist surgery, and a fractured tibia. This string of injuries forced him to miss 605 out of a possible 810 games from 2021 through 2025. With another season expected to be lost, Rendon’s record stands at just 257 games played out of 1,032 possible over a span of seven years.
Despite the alteration of his contract to ease the Angels’ salary cap burden, the team will still fulfill the full length of Rendon’s contract, totaling $245 million. This translates to an astonishing $953,307 paid per game he was available to play.
On the performance front, Rendon failed to deliver on the field. After posting impressive stats of .319/.412/.598 during his last season with the Nationals, he struggled with a .242/.348/.369 batting line in Los Angeles. In his five seasons with the Angels, he registered only 22 home runs and 125 RBIs, remarkably fewer than his final season with Washington, despite participating in 111 additional games.
Injuries weren’t the only factors affecting his playing time. Rendon faced two suspensions that led to a total of nine missed games, including a notable brawl against the Seattle Mariners in 2022, during which he was already injured. His actions also raised eyebrows when, after a defeat to Oakland on Opening Day the following year, he was seen grabbing a fan. As he nears the end of his tenure with the Angels, it seems likely that his MLB career will also be winding down. At 36 years old, he has struggled to maintain consistency both on the field and with his health.
Looking ahead to the 2024 season, Rendon described playing baseball as “a job” and stated it has “never been a top priority,” emphasizing that his faith and family come first. This revelation leaves fans and analysts questioning the rationale behind the Angels’ decision to invest nearly a quarter of a billion dollars into his contract.
John is a seasoned journalist at The Bothside News, specializing in balanced reporting across news, sports, business, and lifestyle. He believes in presenting multiple perspectives to help readers form informed opinions. His work embodies the publication’s philosophy that truth emerges from examining all sides of every story.
