After Anthony Rendon buyout, Angels' offseason pressure has never been higher

The day that Angels fans have long been waiting for finally arrived on Tuesday, when news came out that the team had restructured Anthony Rendon's contract, effectively ending the third baseman's time with the team. Rendon will remain on the roster for 2026, but will likely be placed on the 60-day IL so he can remain in his hometown throughout. The exact details on the restructuring are not public, but the team is expected to have created ebough room this offseason to pursue a genuine star.

And yet, they haven't. And time is running out.

Pressue to pay up is building for Angels, Arte Moreno

On New Year's Day, the Angels sat on their hands and watched the division rival Houston Astros sign Japanese superstar pitcher Tatsuya Imai to lead their rotation in 2026 and beyond. Imai landed a three-year, $54 million contract that can pay up to $63 million. The Angels could have afforded that without the Rendon restructuring, and watching a division rival land Imai adds a little extra sting.

With this buyout, there is an added pressure to bring in genuine talent to compete for a postseason spot in 2026. After bringing in Kirby Yates, the Angels have signed a handful of major league players this offseason for ~$13 million... a little less than the team saved in the Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguexz trade. So while it may seem like the Angels have been adding a lot of talent, they still have an excess of money to spend to upgrade this team. And if they fail to, the ire of Halo fans will only grow towards Arte Moreno.

Missing out on Imai is tough for the Angels, but the Angels still have their pick of solid starting pitchers on the market. With the deadline for Kazuma Okamoto coming up on January 4th, there is a lot of pressure on the Angels to finally bring in a player that does not come with a "but" attached to him. Okamoto would be an exceptional third baseman for the Angels, and they have more than enough financial strength to get the deal done. Okamoto and the Angels have been linked all offseason, and it really just comes down to if Moreno will pay up.

And if he misses on Okamoto, there will be better, more expensive free agents available to ease Angels fans' minds. However, every single time a top free agent comes off the board, Halo faithful will look at Moreno and the pressure will build up more and more for him to finally make good on the front office's promise to spend big this offseason.