Angels must invoke the nuclear option with Anthony Rendon's brutal contract

No more prolonging the inevitable -- the Angels need to cut ties with Anthony Rendon as soon as possible. Rendon, who is not yet at the spring facilities, informed the team that his rehab process stalled, which prompted Perry Minasian to have doctors evaluate his left hip. “He brought up that he’s had some difficulty with his rehab the last couple weeks,” Minasian said. “We had a couple different doctors take a look at it.” Well, it turns out he needs hip surgery and could easily miss the entire 2025 campaign. It already was clear that the team was going to seriously consider cutting the $245,000,000 man at the end of spring training, but in the wake of his latest long-term absence it genuinely seems like getting rid of Rendon now is the best move for both sides.

Arte Moreno likely wanted to see the remaining ~$77 million he owed Rendon on the field in some capacity, but that is not happening anymore. That was not likely going to happen anyway before the news, given how often he has succumb to injury. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors summed up Rendon's laundry list of IL stints with the Angels:

"Dating back to 2021 alone, Rendon has had a staggering 12 different IL placements. This hip procedure will account for his 13th. He’s missed time with a near-interminable list of injuries which, in order, reads as follows: knee contusion, hamstring strain, hip impingement, wrist inflammation, wrist surgery, groin strain, wrist contusion, shin contusion, hamstring strain, back inflammation, oblique strain — and now hip surgery."

Steve Adams

How can you not feel bad for the guy on a personal level? Relieving him of his Angels duties would allow him to step away from the game, spend more time with his family, and focus on his rehab without the anxiety of potentially furthering his physical decline. His body must be in pain all the time, and certainly has taken a major toll on his mental health and well-being. Who knows if he would even want to pick back up with a ball club down the road -- he may end up retiring once he stops receiving Moreno's checks? Does anybody think he would sign with a team on a minor league contract in his post-Angels days? No chance. Contract aside, the Rendon story is just a bummer. He was so good back in the day with Washington, and you hate to see once great players' bodies and baseball souls deteriorate in this manner.

Yoán Moncada was already in-line to be the Angels' starting third baseman, but the team will undoubtedly need to prepare a multitude of back-ups to keep the oft-injured Moncada available throughout the course of the season. With Rendon out of the picture, the Angels could keep Scott Kingery on the major league roster and filter him into the hot corner in order to occasionally spell Moncada. Unless the Angels are penciling Christian Moore or Matthew Lugo (let's see if he goes back to the infield this year) into the lineup full-time, it does not make sense to add them to the major league team. Moncada and Luis Rengifo will likely play most games at second and third base, and it does not make sense right now to keep Moore and Lugo as bench players. Kingery you can deploy as a part-time player, not priority prospects who need a whole lot more seasoning.

It's officially time to give Rendon the Justin Upton treatment, but this time just cut the player on the outset of spring training rather than right before the end of it. It's the right thing to do for all involved parties, and everybody knows it.

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