Between injuries and underperformance, Anthony Rendon's tenure with the Los Angeles Angels has been a disappointment so far. With one year remaining on his contract, rumors have suggested that Rendon may retire before the 2026 MLB season. New Angels manager Kurt Suzuki is not assuming anything until he hears news from a reliable source, however.
“I don't know, obviously I've seen the stories out there. Until the higher-ups tell me otherwise, I'm going to be expecting him at spring training until told otherwise,” Suzuki said during a recent media availability. “Yes, I've talked to Anthony. Obviously we have a personal relationship being teammates in Washington, winning the World Series together. We have a relationship on a personal level, talk about family and all that type of stuff.”
Suzuki and Rendon were both part of the Washington Nationals' 2019 World Series-winning ball club. Rendon would sign in Anaheim ahead of the following 2020 campaign. Suzuki spent 2020 in Washington as well before playing the final two seasons of his career in Anaheim with the Angels.
Now, just a few seasons later, he is the manager of the Halos. The only question is whether or not he will receive the opportunity to manage his former teammate.
Rendon's injury concerns are no secret. He hasn't played in more than 60 games in any of his seasons since joining the Angels. Rendon missed all of the 2025 campaign. His only successful individual season with the Halos came during the shortened 2020 season, when he played in 52 of the team's 60 games and finished 10th in American League MVP voting.
When the Angels signed Rendon, however, they were hoping that he — along with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout — could lead the Angels to their first postseason appearance since 2014. The move has not gone according to plan, though. Ohtani has since left and won two World Series championships with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Trout's career has seen a decline due to injury concerns of his own.
The Angels' postseason drought is still intact, unfortunately.
Rendon's future in MLB is a question mark at the moment. It remains to be seen if he will retire before the 2026 campaign.
