Los Angeles Angelsthird baseman Anthony Rendon has had a long career in Major League Baseball that has been riddled with injuries. He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals after playing collegiately with the Rice Owls. Rendon spent the first seven years of his big-league career with the Nationals, where he was incredible.
During his time in Washington, Rendon played in 916 games with a .290 batting average, an .859 OPS, 136 home runs and 546 RBIs. This includes the 2019 season, his final year with the Nationals, in which he finished third in NL MVP voting after leading the majors with 126 RBIs.
Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6)© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Before the 2020 season, Rendon joined the Angels in free agency when he signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the organization.
His time in Los Angeles has not played out as either side had hoped. In the six seasons since signing with the Angels, Rendon has not appeared in more than 58 games during a season. This includes missing all of 2025 while recovering from a hip surgery.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported that Rendon and the Angels are in talks to buy out the final year of his contract, as Rendon is expected to retire from baseball.
As the 35-year-old was set to make over $38 million in 2026, he has already been paid over $206 million by the Angels since signing the contract in 2020.
Gonzalez reported that a potential buyout between the two sides is not yet finalized, and it is possible that Rendon will defer some of the remainder of his contract so the Angels have more money to spend this offseason.
Since his big deal was signed, Rendon played in just 257 games with Los Angeles, hitting .242 with 22 home runs and 125 RBIs.