Los Angeles Angels: Anthony Rendon signing not paying dividends

The Los Angeles Angels are one of the most confusing teams in all professional sports. They flash the cash and hand out major contracts, but even getting to the playoffs proves to be an impossible task.

Anthony Rendon arguably got overpaid following the 2019 season as the Angels handed him a seven-year deal worth $245 million. He looked great as the Washington Nationals won a title, and was paid in turn.

So how is that going so far?

Anthony Rendon out for the year

Rendon is now out for the season after needing hip surgery. The 31-year-old leaves with a -0.1 WAR on the year and is getting paid $27.5 million. That is about as bad a bargain one can find in MLB.

Rendon is under contract through 2026 on his $245 million deal. Meanwhile, Mike Trout is inked through 2030 on his 12-year, $426 million contract. Luckily, Shohei Ohtani is cost-controlled for a few more years. After that, he may land a record deal.

The Angels clearly have money to spend. However, there seems to be a lack of the obvious in the thinking that goes on within the front office. This team needs pitching and needs it bad. The money spent on Rendon could have gone toward a full starting rotation.

But that is the problem with this franchise recently. Just think back to the Albert Pujols contract. They sign players to massive deals way too late and then have to pay players for past performance in another city. It is bad business.

Rendon has only made one All-Star Game in his career and it came in 2019 when he also won a Silver Slugger and finished third in National League MVP voting. While his 7.2 WAR was elite, he was still turning 30 years old. Given this hip surgery, durability is now going to come into question once he returns.

Angels fans just want the team to make the postseason. However, ownership seems more content with signing big names and not worrying about wins or losses. Rendon can always prove to be worth the money, but he now has to wait until next year.