Ghost of Anthony Rendon could derail Angels’ hopes despite front office purge

Anthony Rendon was bought out by the Los Angeles Angels earlier this year, which prematurely ended his wildly disappointing tenure in Anaheim. There's really no way to discuss the contract without trying to put it in historical context, as it easily ranks as one of the worst in professional sports history.

With his enormous salary finally off the books, one would think the Halos would be eager to turn the page as fast as possible. Alas, the ghost of Rendon hangs over the franchise like a dark cloud, especially as Mike Trout continues to struggle with performance and health at this stage of his career.

Simply put, the Angels do not have an enviable history when it comes to handing out big money. And with a lockout coming up that could change the economics of baseball forever, it may be a long time before Arte Moreno is willing to dig deep into his pockets again.

Angels' post-lockout plans will likely be informed by previous failed investments

Besides the impending lockout, there's also the issue of a front office in the midst of a regime change; something that will significantly impact what the Angels do, at least in the near future. If Moreno is ever going to green-light another $200 million contract, it'll require the persuasive efforts of a proven baseball operations leaders.

John Mozeliak is the interim general manager and probably deserves a long-term chance to run the organization, but it's unclear if he even wants that job. He's never been the type of executive to stuff the payroll with the kind of long-term money that the Halos gave to Trout, Rendon, and Albert Pujols.

In fact, Mozeliak is the executive who let Pujols walk in free agency all those years ago, opening the door for the Angels to sign the future of Hall of Famer. He didn't necessarily shy away from big contracts — he eventually used the savings from Pujols' departure to extend Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina — but he's not going to be the first guy to offer a market-setting deal in the new post-lockout world.

If Mozeliak fails to earn the permanent GM job, you can be sure of one thing: Moreno will seek out someone with a history of getting bang for their buck. With Trout still owed about $150 million from this point forward, there's really no hope that the next front office will be given free rein to spend as they please.

That's not to say that the Angels will become allergic to nine-figure contracts in a post-lockout world, but with the stench of Rendon still hanging over the franchise, it's a good bet that it'll be some time before we see an investment of that magnitude again.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow