Latest Angels buzz hints Anthony Rendon settlement could still fall apart

For some Angels fans, the highlight of their offseason so far was not the Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez trade, despite it landing the Angels a pitcher with the potential to become a legitimate ace while also saving the team ~$13 million in payroll. And no, it was not the Alek Monoah signing (despite there being some reasons for optimism with the former Cy Young finalist).

For most fans, the best news they have recieved was that Anthony Rendon and the Angels were reportedly expected to agree to a contract buyout, ending the third baseman's time with the team and allowing the front office more financial flexibility to go star hunting this offseason. Fans had grown sore of Rendon after he missed all of 2025, attributing only 3.9 WAR during the span of his seven year, $245 million contract. Alongside Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, Rendon is apart of one of the biggest "what could have been" trios of all time. Now, fans are ready to save goodbye and hunt for their next star.

Only, it appears that won't be as easy as originally thought.

Angels-Anthony Rendon buyout not as clear after latest comments

As Winter Meetings kicked off (and the Angels missed out on a solid starter), reporters got the chance to speak with general manager Perry Minasian. While he is somewhat restricted in what he can exactly say in regards to Rendon, his comments were not entirely what fans wanted to hear. Minasian told reporters, “There’s nothing to talk about,” Minasian said. “He's rehabbing. We'll see where that goes. There’s nothing to say about that in this current moment.”

New manager Kurt Suzuki, who won a World Series with Rendon in 2019 and has been friends with since, told reporters, "I’ve seen the stories out there but until the higher ups tell me otherwise, I’m expecting him at Spring Training."

The buyout process is complicated, as any sort of deal would require approval from Rendon and the Angels obviously, but MLB and the MLB Player's Association as well. Even if the team does not reach a buyout agreement with Rendon, it appears he may have played his final game with the Angels regardless.

So it is somewhat of a win for the fans. While they may not be able to dream of a huge offseason, Rendon appears to be out of the team's plans going forward either way. If the team does fail to agree to a buyout, the bright side is that they will be set up for a huge offseason in 2027 with only Mike Trout and Yusei Kikuchi currently signed beyond 2026.