Jonathan Papelbon goes full NSFW on Angels’ Anthony Rendon for controversial comments

Add former major league pitcher Jonathan Papelbon to the long list of people who are lining up to castigate Los Angeles Angels infielder Anthony Rendon for his comments earlier this week.

Rendon put his foot in his mouth during an interview with the media when the Angels took the field for full squad workouts. Rendon infuriated Angels fans, and almost all of baseball, with his declaration that the game -- his job -- has never been a top priority for him.

Papelbon, who was actually teammates with Rendon when both players were with the Washington Nationals, gave his unedited opinion of Rendon during an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast. Among other things, Papelbon said that if he were Angels' GM Perry Minisian, he'd be trying to get rid of Rendon as fast as he could.

Jonathan Papelbon goes full NSFW on LA Angels’ Anthony Rendon for controversial comments

From Papelbon's perspective, Rendon's controversial comments are just more of the same from what's he's seen over the years. Papelbon spoke of watching Rendon prepare for games as if it was a chore, saying that the Angels' third baseman strictly got away on his "raw athleticism and raw talent".

Papelbon then went on to say, "He's (Rendon's) not as successful as he really, truly could be, because he's got more God-given talent than probably all three of us sitting here talking. But, at the end of the day, he don't give a s--t."

Rendon isn't fooling anybody with his passive comments about baseball not being a top priority. While no one is going to criticize Rendon for putting his faith and family ahead his job, the Angels are paying him a hefty salary to play a game. As Papelbon also said in the interview, "This is what you sign up for."

Anthony Rendon's comments will continue to haunt him throughout the entire season. Anyone who's ever watched Rendon play since arriving in Los Angeles knows that Jonathan Papelbon's assertion is 100% accurate. The only way that Rendon will ever shed the negative image that fans have of him is to return the All-Star level player he was in 2019. That doesn't seem too likely.