One of the most disappointing free-agent signings in recent memory is being paid to spend the final year of his contract away from the team. The Los Angeles Angels and Anthony Rendon have reportedly agreed to a buyout, ending Rendon’s tenure with the club, according to The Athletic.
Rendon, 35, had one year and $38 million left on the seven-year, $245 million deal he signed with the team ahead of the 2020 MLB season. Instead of paying Rendon that money this year, the team will part ways with the third baseman and defer his contract roughly three-to-five years as part of the buyout, per The Athletic. It’s unclear exactly how it will be paid out.
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Rendon was among the most coveted free agents when he hit the market following the 2019 MLB season. He was coming off a six-year stretch in which he hit .293/.374/.500 with 129 home runs and strong defense at the hot corner. He received MVP votes in four of those six seasons, finishing a career-high third for the award just before hitting the free-agent market.
The Angels took the plunge on the then-29-year-old, agreeing to a seven-year, $245 million contract. The move came months after the team signed Mike Trout to a $430 million extension and was meant to give Trout a dangerous middle-of-the-order partner who would help lead the Angels back to the postseason.
For one season, it looked like a decent move. While the Angels struggled during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Rendon performed well, hitting .286/.418/.497 in 52 games. That performance earned him a top-10 finish in MVP voting.
But things quickly went downhill for the former star the following season. He battled numerous injuries and was limited to 58 games in 2021. Ailments soon became a major theme for Rendon with the Angels. In his five seasons with the club, he played in 257 of a possible 1,032 games due to injuries and surgeries, per The Athletic.
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And he wasn’t very productive when he was on the field. Following his strong 2020 debut, Rendon hit just .231/.329/.336 over the next four seasons. He played in 206 games over that stretch.
Rendon was supposed to suit up for the Angels in 2025 but missed the entire season after undergoing hip surgery.
Amid his struggles, Rendon also drew criticism after a 2023 incident in which he angrily confronted an Athletics fan after a game. Rendon grabbed the fan by the shirt and lobbed expletives at him before appearing to take a swipe at the fan, which did not connect. MLB suspended Rendon for five games following the incident, though it was reduced to four games after an appeal.
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After missing all of 2025, the Angels essentially wrote off Rendon in 2026. The team reportedly considered a contract buyout early in the offseason. General manager Perry Minasian was asked about that possibility in December and responded by saying he had nothing to report on that front. Minasian, however, did not deny that the team was looking into the possibility, giving credence to the report.
With the buyout, the Angels will free up some immediate cash that can be used to add free agents ahead of the 2026 season. The team has already been active this offseason, trading for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez and infielder Vaughn Grissom and signing relievers Drew Pomeranz, Kirby Yates and Jordan Romano.
The Angels are looking to get back into contention after finishing last season 72-90 and last in the AL West. The team hasn’t finished higher than third in the division since 2017 and hasn’t reached the postseason since 2014.
