Only three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and the Los Angeles Angels overpaying for an All-Star free agent. The names of failed contracts the Angels have signed have become familiar to baseball fans everywhere. There were small deals that backfired like those of Matt Harvey, Jose Quintana, and Tim Lincecum. Next, were the mid-range signings that were incredible failures like Zack Cozart and Gary Matthews Jr. Maybe Justin Upton fits into that group too. Unfortunately for Angels fans, current Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon fits into the final group. The Angels should release Rendon instead of letting his final year or two play out like the next two players. These two epic failures saddled the organization with a reputation for bad free-agent signings. Rendon has only made that reputation grow. Therefore, the Angels should release star Anthony Rendon and continue their youth movement in 2025.
A Brief History of the Angels Releasing (or Trading) Stars
Albert Pujols
First, there was the Albert Pujols debacle. The Angels thought they were signing one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball history when they signed Pujols in December of 2011. They gave him a 10-year, $240 million contract that included a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract after he retired. Pujols was a three-time MVP, nine-time All-Star, and universally known as the best hitter in baseball. While on the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dominican slugger slashed .328/.421/.621/1.037 for a 170 OPS+ which was elite. In fact, as a career OPS+ it was second only to Barry Bonds among players who played after 1970. Plus, Pujols had 2,073 hits, 445 home runs, and 1,329 RBI. His career numbers immediately led to a milestone watch upon his arrival in Anaheim.
Owner Arte Moreno envisioned Pujols selling out Angel Stadium as he climbed the career leaderboards. Instead, his .859 OPS in his Angels debut season would be the only time he went over the .800 OPS barrier. Within a couple of years, Angels fans were calling for a trade. A few years after that, they were calling for his release. Finally, in 2021, when Pujols was a 41-year-old batting under .200, the Angels released him that May. Unfortunately, they waited until the final year of his contract. Still, Pujols’ contract was far more productive than the following player’s deal.
Josh Hamilton
One year and two days later the Angels signed slugger (or more accurately, ex-slugger) Josh Hamilton. Fresh off an impressive three-year stretch with the Texas Rangers that included an American League MVP award, Hamilton signed a five-year deal for $125 million. While Hamilton hit 43 home runs and had 128 RBI in his final year in Texas, success would elude him in Anaheim. In fact, Hamilton played so poorly that he only stayed with the Angels for two seasons before being paid to play for Texas, who reacquired him in a trade.
Hamilton ended up with only 31 home runs and 123 RBI total for the Angels, while posting a .741 OPS to go along with terrible defense in left field. Worse, Hamilton relapsed into alcohol and cocaine use after maintaining his sobriety during his time in Texas. Moreno immediately looked for ways to get out of the contract before demanding he be traded.
When the Angels traded Hamilton back to Texas, they assumed the majority of $80.2 million remaining on his contract. In fact, it was widely reported that the Rangers paid under $7 million for the remaining three years. Unsurprisingly, Hamilton only played one more year in Texas before retiring. The smooth stroke that helped him become the No. 1 pick in the 1999 MLB Draft out of high school had finally ceased to be effective after years of turmoil.
Angels Should Release Anthony Rendon
The Angels handed Anthony Rendon a $245 million contract believing he would be a stalwart at third base.
Instead, L.A. has used 28 players at the position since inking that deal in 2020 — the most in baseball.
So @SamBlum3 ranked them
https://t.co/mMdjl6SAb3 pic.twitter.com/5vsFjvdWBE
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 28, 2024
The Angels’ release of Pujols was a month into the final season of his contract. The Angels essentially paid full price to let him go, as he was unclaimed through waivers. Basically, they paid the remaining money on the $30 million he was scheduled to make in 2021. Hamilton was traded with three seasons left on his deal. They ended up paying roughly $70 million to get rid of him. Now, the Angels should release their third baseman Anthony Rendon even though it’ll cost them another $77 million to do so. Why? For starters, he’s no longer very good. Plus, he can no longer stay healthy. While many people would see his contract as a hurdle to his release, it’s not. They can either pay him to be terrible or pay him to go away. Smart teams will always choose the latter in these situations.
After an abbreviated COVID season in 2020, where he played incredibly well, Rendon has been a disaster. Over the last four seasons, the 34-year-old has played in 202 of a possible 624 games for the Angels. Worse, he’s posted an 87 OPS+ during that time, only hitting a total of 13 home runs in 727 at-bats. The cherry on top is that the club has paid him a little more than $141 million during that stretch. There is no benefit of having him play (sporadically) if he underperforms when he does. The Angels should release Rendon and look to Luis Rengifo to man the hot corner. Since the team’s first-round pick has been dominating in Double-A before a recent injury, there’s a decent chance the club will have Christian Moore play second base at some point in 2025.
Rendon has had much success in his career, but in 2024 he is an oft-injured, subpar third baseman. The Angels should do the right thing and release him.
Photo Credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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