Angels defer $38 million, freeing cash for free agents. Rendon's costly, injury-plagued tenure ends, paving the way for new talent.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Blum, the Los Angeles Angels and third baseman Anthony Rendon agreed to a restructuring of his contract on Tuesday. It will put an end to Rendon’s time with the Angels, whom he first joined ahead of the 2020 season on a seven-year, $245 million deal.
As a part of the restructuring, Rendon’s final year of his contract will be deferred in the range of three-to-five years. The Halos owed $38 million to Rendon in 2026, but the deferral will allow the club to have more flexibility this offseason by spreading out the payment over several years.
With this new financial flexibility, expect general manager Perry Minasian and the Angels to pursue high-profile names that remain in the free agent market. Minasian has already been busy this offseason as it's his final shot at getting an extension with the club. So far, the Angels have brought in pitchers Grayson Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romero, Alek Manoah, Kirby Yates, and infielder Vaughn Grissom.
Rendon’s tenure with the Angels massively failed to live up to expectations, as he only played in 257 games across six seasons with the club. The most games played in a season for Rendon in Anaheim was just 58 back in 2021. He missed the entirety of the 2025 season after undergoing hip surgery. Now, he won’t have the chance to return to the field in an Angels uniform.
The contract restructure flips the page on a dark chapter in Angels' history that will live in infamy. Rendon’s deal is just the most recent of several disastrous contracts given out by the Angels, following in the footsteps of players like Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols.
While he will be away from the team and not playing in a Halos uniform in 2026, Rendon is not expected to retire, according to The OC Register’s Jeff Fletcher. This means a roster spot will continue to be filled by Rendon despite his absence. It won’t be much different from how it has been over the last six seasons, however, where Rendon missed 775 games.
Now, the focus for the Halos is on bringing in new talent with their freed-up money. Fans can only hope it won’t lead to yet another nightmare contract.