What would it cost for the Angels to be finished with Anthony Rendon?

Some professional sports leagues offer incentives for teams to terminate a contract with a player prior to its expiration. You'll see teams in the NFL release a player into free agency before a certain time period in order to avoid paying a performance bonus or locking in the terms of mega-million dollar extension.

On rare occasions, teams will throw themselves onto the sword and absord a huge salary-cap hit just to ensure that a player no longer suits up for their franchise. The Denver Broncos will have $85 million in dead cap space after releasing quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason.

But baseball is a different animal. Unlike the NFL, Major League Baseball contracts are fully guaranteed. No refunds, no givesies-backsies, nothing. So no matter how much the Los Angeles Angels and their fanbase would love to be rid of Anthony Rendon, they're on the hook for the whole thing. How much would it cost the Angels to part ways with their third baseman?

What would it cost for the LA Angels to be finished with Anthony Rendon's contract?

The short answer is, a lot. Rendon signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels after leading the Washington Nationals to the World Series title in 2019. Rendon was one of the hottest free agents on the market that offseason, and cashed in on his success.

Since signing with LA, Rendon has appeared in just 200 games. His attitude has been about as detestable as anyone can imagine, and upon arriving at spring training earlier this year, Rendon told the entire Angels fanbase that baseball was not a top priority for him.

While that's not a secret, one would expect a player who's been handsomely rewarded for playing a game would be a bit more diplomatic in his response. To date, Rendon has received over $114 million. That equates to about $570,000 per game.

But while the Angels would undoubtedly love to just cut ties with Rendon, they'd still be on the hook for the remaining $114 million on his current deal. There are performances that could increase the value of Rendon's contract, but it's doubtful he'll see the field enough to even meet those escalators. Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters recently that Rendon will miss some time with a groin injury.

Sorry, Angels fans, but Rendon isn't going anywhere this season. It's doubtful that he'll be let go next winter either, as he's still under contract through 2026. It is very possible, however, that the Halos dump Rendon with one year left on his deal and just pay him $38 million not to play in Anaheim.

The Angels did that with Albert Pujols, paying the future Hall of Famer $30 million to play elsewhere in 2021, so there's no reason to believe the same fate doesn't await Rendon.

By the way, Pujols no longer owns the worst contract in Angels history. That title belongs to Rendon.