Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reported last night that it will be a five-year deferral plan. The Angels will pay him $7.6 million annually between 2026 and 2030. That will save them $30.4 million this year compared to what they would have paid if the buyout had not occurred. Rendon will no longer play for the team. He’s not officially retiring, but it certainly appears his MLB career is over.
Will the Angels reinvest some of their short-term savings? Sam Blum of The Athletic wrote this week that this is not guaranteed, noting that general manager Perry Minasian avoided a question about a possible pay cut. “I’m not going to make any statements. We’ll see where the off-season takes us. There are still a lot of good players available. There is still time to improve the club,” said the general manager.
The Angels entered the offseason with $126.7 million in guaranteed salaries. They added another $12.95 million through one-year contracts Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano And Immetry. Their arbitration class will cost approximately $20 million. That would give them about $160 million before factoring in minimum wages to round out the roster. Rendon’s postponement brings that back to the $130 million range. The Halos opened the ’25 season with a payroll of $193 million.
If they are willing to match last year’s spending, they would have the money to be involved with a free agent. Only owner Arte Moreno and the front office know where they draw the line. The Angels are among nine teams whose local broadcast contract with Main Street Sports collapsed this week. That is again an uncertain income stream. There has also been speculation that the Angels could be reluctant to make multi-year commitments, with the possibility of a lockout in December. A contract gap was reportedly a major reason the discussion with their preferred management candidate, Albert Pujols, did not lead to a deal. Ultimately, they hired Kurt Suzuki to a one-year contract, an atypically short managerial commitment.
The Angels continue to have glaring needs around the roster. Second base, third base and center field are all concerns on the position player’s side. However, so is Catcher Logan O’Hoppe has enough of a track record that it is understandable that they would stick with him and Travis d’Arnaud for another season. They are at least one mid-rotation starter light and would benefit from another high-leverage reliever even if the bullpen market has essentially dried up.
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