Anthony Rendon Signing Begins New Era for LA Angels

Less than 24 hours after Halo fans lost Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, the LA Angels inked star third baseman Anthony Rendon to a 7-year, $245 million contract, beginning a new era of baseball in Anaheim.

After signing Anthony Rendon to be their everyday third baseman, the LA Angels have one of the best groups of position players in the entire MLB.

Let that sink in.

Mike Trout. Anthony Rendon. Shohei Ohtani. Justin Upton. David Fletcher. Andrelton Simmons. Albert Pujols. Jo Adell. Tommy La Stella.

More from Halo Hangout

• New York Post columnist has LA Angels bringing veteran starter back to LA
• Dodgers make wild mistake signing failed LA Angels starter
• Why LA Angels’ Qualifying Offer to Raisel Iglesias could become historical
• Both Gold Glove finalists for LA Angels getting snubbed is a complete joke
• Marcus Stroman definitely appears to be interested in the LA Angels

This just got real, Halo fans.

Ever since Troy Glaus left the Angels, they have needed a star third baseman. That position has been a complete black hole for the Angels ever since Glaus moved on. They tried to bring in Adrian Beltre in 2012. This time around, they weren’t going to let Anthony Rendon get away from them.

By the way, applause to Billy Eppler and the front office. This is the best pivot the team could have made after missing out on Cole and Stephen Strasburg. Adding a truly elite, top-five hitter in the MLB to their lineup gives this Angels a chance to win the ballgame every time they take the field, no matter who is on the mound.

This signing emphasizes a new era in terms of spending for the Angels too. Last year, they spent roughly the same amount they’ll pay Rendon yearly ($35 million) to Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill, Cody Allen, and Jonathan Lucroy. Those days are gone, and the Angels are amongst the biggest spenders in baseball again.

And they aren’t done yet.

With their offense elite and set in stone, the Angels can completely focus on adding starting pitchers the rest of the offseason. Almost immediately after the Rendon signing was reported, news broke that the Angels were already shifting focus towards starting pitchers Madison Bumgarner (who would be a phenomenal leader for this young rotation), Hyun-Jin Ryu (whose fit in a six-man rotation would be perfect), and Dallas Kuechel (who proved last season in Atlanta that he deserves big money). On top of those names, the team was linked to Jon Gray and Corey Kluber on the trade market.

Anthony Rendon is not the finish line for Billy Eppler and Co. This is the beginning of a new era for the LA Angels and their fans. A time where they spend big, and hopefully win even bigger for years to come.