Though still unofficial, the Los Angeles Angels and third baseman Anthony Rendon are working on a buyout that would cut Rendon’s Angels tenure one year short after signing a seven-year, $245 million deal after the 2019 season. Senior MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported that if the buyout becomes official, the Angels could turn their attention towards veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado to fill in the team’s hole at the hot corner.
Arenado has been one of baseball’s biggest names at the third base position for a decade now. Starting his career with the Colorado Rockies, Arenado won eight Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and appeared in five All-Star games in his eight years in the Mile High City.
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Ahead of the 2021 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded for Arenado, where he’s spent the last five seasons. Now, the Cardinals are looking to ship the 34-year-old out of town this offseason, and the Angels are seemingly a great fit for the veteran third baseman.
Ironically, the Angels have had no consistency at third base ever since signing Rendon in 2019. Rendon only managed to play in 257 games for the Halos over six seasons, leaving the Angels scrambling to find temporary replacements time and time again. The club is finally over it, undergoing talks to buy out Rendon’s contract with just one year remaining.
If and when the buyout is complete, the Angels would become a top threat to nab Arenado from St. Louis. Though he isn’t the hitter he was in the late 2010s, Arenado still provides positive value because of his defensive presence. In 2025, Arenado put up 3 outs above average at the hot corner, finishing in the 69th percentile in fielding run value.
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At the plate, Arenado didn’t impress too much with his bat, posting a below-league-average OPS of .666 across 107 games. Still, it was just the first season since 2020 in which Arenado finished as a below-average hitter. He won’t return to the level he was at during his prime, but there’s no reason Arenado can’t return to league-average levels next season.
The Halos have a glaring hole at third base, making them a prime candidate for Arenado’s services, but they also hold an advantage over other teams that could make them more enticing for the 13-year veteran. Arenado grew up in Orange County, playing his high school baseball at El Toro High School in Lake Forest – a 25-minute drive from Angel Stadium.
With his career seemingly coming to an end over the next few seasons, there’s no better time than now to make a return home for Arenado. The Angels are legit threats to land the former All-Star, and with their commitment to improvement this offseason, it makes sense to add a veteran to finally hold down the hot corner.