In a move that underscores both financial pragmatism and the brutal realities of Major League Baseball, the Angels and Anthony Rendon have agreed to a restructured deal that effectively ends his on-field time with the team. The announcement marks a quietly dramatic turning point in one of the most disappointing high-profile signings of the last decade.
From MVP Candidate to Major Liability
Rendon, now 35, will not suit up in 2026, the final year of his original seven-year, $245 million contract signed in the winter of 2019. At the time, it was a celebratory moment for the Angels, a franchise in desperate need of offensive firepower to complement the once-in-a-generation talents of Mike Trout and, eventually, Shohei Ohtani. Instead, Rendon’s tenure unraveled into a cautionary tale.
From a financial standpoint, the restructured deal will defer the $38.5 million he was due in 2026 over three to five years. The exact structure remains undisclosed, but the implications are clear: Rendon’s playing days in Anaheim are over, and the Angels are cutting bait early in what has been an undeniably failed investment.
Injuries Took the Reins, Production Fell Off a Cliff
The numbers tell a stark story. After an All-Star caliber run in Washington, highlighted by back-to-back seasons with an OPS north of .900 and a starring role in the Nationals’ 2019 World Series run, Rendon appeared in just 257 games over six seasons with the Angels. For perspective, there were 1,037 possible regular-season games during that span. Of those 257 games, very few resembled the elite hitter fans remembered from D.C. Outside of a brief flash in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Rendon’s bat never returned. His health, even less so.
The 2025 season was a final, silent chapter, completely lost to hip surgery. Now, with the team officially closing the book early, the Rendon contract joins a long list of marquee deals that went sideways. Injuries may have been the primary culprit, but the damage to both Rendon’s reputation and the Angels’ books was done all the same.
The Angels Look to the Future, Hoping to Escape the Past
For the Angels, the move signals a belated but necessary shift toward the future. They won’t recoup the performance Rendon was meant to deliver, but they may finally begin the long process of reallocating resources and redefining their next era.
For Rendon, the door to a comeback elsewhere may remain slightly ajar, but with each year spent off the field, the odds shrink.
In the end, both sides are moving on. And both carry the weight of what might have been.
