Report: Angels in talks to buy out Rendon, who plans to retire

The Los Angeles Angels and Anthony Rendon are in discussion about buying out the third baseman's final year of his contract, a source told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

Rendon is owed over $38 million in 2026 after signing a seven-year, $245-million deal in December 2019. He would likely defer part of next year's salary in a potential buyout, according to Gonzalez.

The 35-year-old is expected to retire when the Angels cut him, a source told Gonzalez.

Rendon spent the entire 2025 season sidelined after undergoing hip surgery in February. He also had a hip procedure in July 2022.

Rendon hit a combined 22 home runs with 125 RBIs and a .717 OPS over 257 games in six years with the Angels. He never played more than 58 contests in any of those campaigns.

Prior to joining Los Angeles, Rendon finished as a 2019 NL MVP finalist after hitting 34 homers with 126 RBIs and a 1.010 OPS en route to helping the Washington Nationals win the World Series that season.

The 12-year veteran raised eyebrows in April 2024 when he publicly said that baseball is a job and that the sport has never been a top priority for him. He also openly mused in the past about whether MLB should shorten its season, which led ex-teammate Jonathan Papelbon to proclaim that the former All-Star "literally hates baseball."

If Rendon does retire, the two-time Silver Slugger will finish his career with 158 long balls, 295 doubles, 671 RBIs, and an .829 OPS across 1,173 games between the Angels and Nationals.