2 reasons why the Angels should DFA Anthony Rendon, 2 why they shouldn't

LA Angels should DFA Anthony Rendon because he hasn't been productive when healthy

The one thing Angels fans have been able to cling onto with Anthony Rendon dealing with these injury woes throughout the years is the fact that he should still be a good player when he finally is playing. Unfortunately, that simply hasn't been the reality.

Rendon had a strong first year. Nobody ever criticizes him for the 2020 campaign. It's hard to put the blame on him for the injuries either, considering we have no idea what he's actually dealing with. What we can criticize him for is his play on the field, and when healthy, it hasn't been good outside of 2020.

From 2021-2023, Rendon has slashed .235/.338/.364 with 13 home runs and 80 RBI in 148 games played. In virtually one full season, Rendon has hit just 13 home runs with a .701 OPS and a 94 OPS+. For one of the highest-paid players in baseball, that simply isn't good enough. Rendon has been below league-average offensively for a three-year span.

This season Rendon got off to a pretty good start but lacked any sort of power. Once he started dealing with injuries, his play declined a lot. Overall, he slashed .236/.361/.318 with two home runs and 22 RBI in 43 games. He was drawing walks and had some clutch moments in April, but that's about it. This doesn't even count for his abysmal defense this season.

The Angels obviously get nothing when Rendon is out, but in the rare times he's actually played, he's been a non-factor.