Anthony Rendon (34-LA Angels), one of the biggest free agents in baseball, will have to compete next year. He’s not guaranteed a roster spot, let alone a starting role.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will not guarantee Rendon a roster spot next season, according to The Athletic. This was revealed by Angels general manager Perry Minasian at his season-ending press conference.
“We’re going to look at all possibilities,” Minasian said of Rendon’s spot. We will look at who is the best fit for the team. He’s got experience, he’s played on a winning team. He’s a smart baseball player, but he’s not the only one, and every player has to fight for a spot. We have a lot of versatility on our team.”
The Athletic reported, “Rendon signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels ahead of the 2020 season. His first five years in Anaheim were a disaster. He was never on the field, and when he was healthy, which was rare, he didn’t perform well.
‘Rendon played in only 257 of 546 games for the Angels and hadn’t hit a home run since July 2023.
His .717 OPS and 100 adjusted OPS+ were replacement-level. The Angels have used 29 different third basemen in Rendon’s place, and Minasian made it clear that Rendon was not guaranteed a starting job.
“When he played, he was not productive,” Minasian said. You have to go out there and perform. Nothing is given away. We’re starting to create depth, and the best players are going to play,” he said, laying down the law. That means there will be no more first-team treatment.
The Athletic reports, “Rendon once claimed that the Angels were wrong to diagnose a shin contusion last season and that doctors diagnosed a fracture. His desire to play baseball has always been a question mark, given his comments over the years that he was considering retirement and his complaints that the season was too long. Minasian’s patience with him may have run out.
Rendon has been on the disabled list 12 times in the last four years, from 2021 to this year. In 2021, he was sidelined four times with a left groin strain in April, 파워볼실시간 a left knee contusion in May, a left hamstring strain in July, and right hip surgery in August. In 2022, he was sidelined early with right wrist inflammation in May and right wrist surgery in June. Last year, he was limited to 43 games, his lowest total since his rookie year, as he missed time with a left groin strain in May, a left wrist contusion in June, and a left shin contusion in July.
This year,
He missed two and a half months with a left hamstring strain in April, followed by back inflammation in July and a left oblique sprain in September, limiting him to 57 games. His numbers got worse each year, culminating in the worst year of his career. In 57 games, he batted 2-for-45 (206 at-bats) with no home runs, 14 RBIs, and a .574 OPS. That’s a dismal performance for a player who makes $38 million a year, or about $503 million in our money. He has 158 career home runs, including a career-high 34 in 2019, as one of the best third basemen in the league, but this year he’s hitless in 238 at-bats.
If Rendon repeats his injury or fails to compete next year, he could be released. He has $38 million remaining on his contract next year and the year after, totaling $76 million, but the Angels have released free agents in the final year of their deals before, including Albert Pujols in 2021 and Justin Upton in 2022. Rendon will likely be in the same situation.
Rendon is well aware of the situation. According to the Orange County Register, Rendon said, “I’ve been battling injuries and surgeries for so long that it’s hard to say I’m going to get better. I’m not going to get any younger, but I’m going to keep fighting until the end. I’m disappointed that I can’t be the person I used to be, but I have to keep persevering and keep fighting.”