{"id":84887,"date":"2024-09-04T18:43:12","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T22:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=84887"},"modified":"2024-09-04T18:43:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T22:43:12","slug":"angels-should-release-anthony-rendon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/09\/04\/angels-should-release-anthony-rendon\/","title":{"rendered":"Angels Should Release Injury-Prone Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a>, Jose Quintana<\/a>, and Tim Lincecum<\/a>. Next, were the mid-range signings that were incredible failures like Zack Cozart<\/a> and Gary Matthews Jr.<\/a> Maybe Justin Upton<\/a> fits into that group too. Unfortunately for Angels fans, current Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon<\/a> 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<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n

A Brief History of the Angels Releasing (or Trading) Stars<\/h2>\n

Albert Pujols<\/h3>\n

First, there was the Albert Pujols<\/a> debacle. The Angels thought they were signing one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball history when they signed Pujols<\/a> 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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Josh Hamilton<\/h3>\n

One year and two days later the Angels signed slugger (or more accurately, ex-slugger) Josh Hamilton<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Angels Should Release Anthony Rendon<\/h2>\n
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The Angels handed Anthony Rendon a $245 million contract believing he would be a stalwart at third base.<\/p>\n

Instead, L.A. has used 28 players at the position since inking that deal in 2020 \u2014 the most in baseball.<\/p>\n

So @SamBlum3<\/a> ranked them \u2935\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/mMdjl6SAb3<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/5vsFjvdWBE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 28, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n