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. Rendon 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, handing out a seven-year, $245 million contract to Rendon. 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 that would 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 Rendon a top-10 finish in the MVP voting.
But things quickly went downhill for the former superstar the following season. He battled numerous injuries and was limited to just 58 games in 2021. Ailments became a major theme for Rendon with the Angels. In his five seasons with the club, he played in 257 out of a possible 1,032 games due to injuries and surgeries, per The Athletic.
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He wasn’t very productive when he was on the field. Following his strong 2020 debut, Rendon hit just .231/.329/.336 over his final four seasons with the team. He played in just 206 games over that stretch.
This story will be updated.
