Earlier this MLB offseason, we reported that Los Angeles Angels’ third baseman Anthony Rendon was set to become the highest-paid player at his position for the upcoming year. However, that status changed following an agreement between the Angels and Rendon to restructure the final year of his contract. Instead of receiving $38 million this season, the amount will be distributed over the next three to five years. Although Rendon will technically remain on the Angels’ roster, he is anticipated to miss the entire season due to ongoing injury rehabilitation.

Even with this contract restructuring, Rendon’s deal is often regarded as one of the most regrettable in MLB history. When initially signed, it seemed somewhat justified. Rendon had just clinched the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals, achieving career peaks in home runs (34) and RBIs (126), leading the league in the latter. He was seen as a stellar addition alongside superstar outfielder Mike Trout and the then-promising Shohei Ohtani.

However, Rendon’s fortunes took a quick downturn. While he delivered a respectable performance during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, his physical condition rapidly deteriorated. A series of injuries—including groin and hamstring strains, oblique issues, hip impingements, wrist surgery, and a fractured tibia—sidelined him for 605 out of 810 games from 2021 to 2025. With another year on the bench looming, Rendon will have participated in just 257 of a possible 1,032 games over seven seasons.

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Despite spreading the last year of his contract over several years to alleviate the Angels’ salary cap concerns, the team remains committed to paying the full $245 million of his contract. For those keeping track, that amounts to $953,307 per game played by Rendon.

Unfortunately, Rendon’s on-field performance did not justify his hefty earnings. After achieving .319/.412/.598 splits in his final year with the Nationals, his performance dipped to .242/.348/.369 with the Angels. Over five seasons in Los Angeles, he hit just 22 home runs and drove in 125 RBIs—despite playing 111 more games than his last season in Washington, he recorded fewer homers and RBIs.

Rendon’s availability was further compromised by two suspensions, costing him nine games. He was involved in a 2022 altercation with the Seattle Mariners while injured, and in the following season, he confronted a fan post an Opening Day defeat to Oakland. As his tenure with the Angels nears its conclusion, so too might his MLB career. Approaching 36, Rendon has struggled to demonstrate consistency, both in terms of performance and health.

Before the 2024 season, Rendon called playing baseball “a job” and added that it had “never been a top priority,” saying his faith and family come first. Perhaps the Angels would have liked to know that tidbit before giving him nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.