The Los Angeles Angels could be losing one of their key players, as Anthony Rendon is expected to retire, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
“NEWS: The Angels and Anthony Rendon are in talks about buying out the final year of his contract, according to a source. The expectation is that he will retire,” Gonzalez wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
This move could bring a resolution to his seven-year, $245 million deal, especially after he spent the entire 2025 season recovering from hip surgery. He's owed $38 million in 2026, and it looks as if he's bought out, he will defer part of the money, which will help the Angels as far as keeping financial flexibility.
If they can complete a buyout, he will have just played a quarter of the Angels' games over the life of his deal. In 2019, the Angels made Rendon the highest-paid third baseman in the league after what he did with the Washington Nationals. When he was with the Nationals, he did it all on the mound, from hitting to defending at a high level.
In the past four years with the Angels, Rendon slashed just .231/.329/.336 while appearing in 205 of a potential 648 games. He had several injuries, such as left groin, left knee, left oblique, left shin, lower back, both wrists, and both hips. All of them made him go to the injured list at some point.
Earlier this year, the Angels announced that Rendon needed to undergo hip surgery and miss the season. He spent most of his time away from the team as he rehabbed.
In total, he never played more than 58 games in a single season, and his last home run with the team was in July 2023. Not only did that hurt the Angels, but Mike Trout's bad injury luck didn't make things any better for the team over the past few years.
