ANAHEIM.– The Los Angeles Angels and third baseman Anthony Rendón agreed to restructure the last year of his contract, which implies that the player will not see action during the 2026 season, a source informed MLB.com.
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Rendon, who signed a
seven-year, $245 million deal prior to the 2020 season, was owed a salary of
US$38 million for 2026. That amount will now be
deferred and paid over several years, although the exact terms of the agreement have not been disclosed and the organization has not yet made it official.
During the Winter Meetings, general manager
Perry Minasian mentioned that the club was exploring alternatives to gain short-term financial flexibility by restructuring Rendón’s contract, a process that required negotiations with his agent,
Scott Boras, as well as the approval of Major League Baseball and the players’ union (MLBPA).
The agreement marks the
second consecutive season without playing for Rendón, who underwent hip surgery before the 2025 campaign. Although he has not retired and will remain on the roster, the team can place him on the
60-day injured list, thus freeing up a spot on the 40-player roster before the start of the championship.
Rendon’s time with the Angels was marked by injuries and underperformance. In five seasons with the franchise, he participated in only
257 games, with an average of
.242,
22 home runs and
125 RBIs. In his last performance, in 2024, he batted
.218/.307/.267, with no home runs and 14 RBIs in 57 games.
Throughout his career in the Major Leagues, between the
Washington Nationals and Angels, Rendón has an offensive line of
.280/.364/.464, with
158 home runs,
295 doubles and
671 RBIs in
1,173 games. He was called to the
All-Star Game in 2019, won two
Silver Bats and was a key player in the
Nationals’ World Series championship that same year.
With Rendón out of the picture, the Angels
are looking for a third baseman for next season, in addition to reinforcing their starting rotation, bullpen, and center field. Part of the financial flexibility obtained was used to sign reliever
Kirby Yates for one year and
US$5 million, adding to other acquisitions made during the offseason.
