Anthony Rendon's tenure with the Los Angeles Angels has been filled with injuries as his seven-year, $245 million contract quickly turned into one of the MLB's worst. Entering year five of that deal, Rendon's latest comments make it seem like he's hoping his time with the Angels and as a professional ballplayer comes to an end soon.
Rendon said that playing baseball is not the most important thing in his life, which is fine to say. The way he said it may not sit very well with Angels fans though.
“It’s never been a top priority for me,” Rendon said, per Sam Blum. “This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith and my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving.”
Rendon did say that baseball is a priority for him because it's his job. Having spent more time off the field than on it since he signed with the Angels in 2020, it's understandable to see where Rendon is coming from.
Rendon has appeared in 200 of a possible 546 games since he joined the Angels and hasn’t played in more than 58 in any of his four seasons with the team. His performance has rapidly declined as well, with a .249 batting average and .758 OPS as an Angel compared to .290 and. 859 in his seven seasons with the Washington Nationals.
Another season of uncertainty?
Rendon appears to be healthy and in line for an everyday role with the Angels as spring training begins, but it's far from a guarantee that he can return to All-Star form. If he continues to struggle, Angels fans will likely be quick to criticize him.
Rendon had multiple rows with the media last season and again mentioned his disdain for being interviewed after he made those aforementioned ‘priority' comments. He's claimed that he doesn’t watch baseball when he's not playing and has called the sport boring while also stating the MLB season should be shorter.
His actions over the last year haven’t endeared him to Angels fans and these latest comments won’t help change that. Anthony Rendon's time as a top MLB player appears over. His career as a whole may be coming to an end sooner than fans anticipated as well.
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