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Aug 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) throws out Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Ernie Clement (not pictured) at first base during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Who Could the Angels Sign with the Rendon Savings?

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Jeff Joiner | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 2:23 PM ET

Details about the Anthony Rendon contract buyout were disclosed this weekend and we now know Rendon will receive his final $38,571,428 over the course of five equal annual salaries of $7,714,2850.60. So, for the sake of this exercise, let's round the numbers off to a cash influx of $31 million for the Angels.

What could Angels general manager Perry Minasian pull off with that $31 million? Let's see. And to make this piece as realistic as possible I will use figures from either Fangraphs prediction model or MLBTR's prediction model when possible.

First off, let's identify where to spend the money.

In looking at the 2025 season statistics, the Angels were bad by every measure except home runs. Yes Minasian traded away 36 dingers when he sent Taylor Ward to Baltimore but pitching, on base percentage, and defense are the largest areas of concern. If the baseball gods smile on the Angels, Trout and Soler can mitigate the loss of Ward, but the rotation and defense are still in flux.

Obvious holes in the Angels lineup exist at third base, second base, and likely center field. Meanwhile the rotation is full of potential but short on reliability. And like all teams, the Angels could likely use a hammer at the back end of the bullpen.

There's not enough money to sign players for all of those holes, so we will need to prioritize.

Let's go spend some money.

Step one, sign Zach Littell for 2 years and $24 million. Littell brings two things the Angels desperately need: durability and control. He made 29 starts in 2024 and posted 32 times last season. He's not just an innings eater as his ERA of 3.81 was really solid over 186 2/3rds innings last year. He's a stabilizing force behind Yusei Kikuchi and gives the Angels a really good chance to win each night he's on the mound.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

With $19 million left to spend, I need to prioritize. Angels pitchers ranked last in a lot of categories but they were helped on their way to the bottom by a horrible defense. Per the Fielding Bible, the Angels were the third worst defensive team in all of MLB last season. That has to change.

Step two, sign Harrison Bader for 2 years and $24 million. Harrison Bader fits perfectly on the Angels. His defense is among the best in baseball and at his age he'll provide a great bridge to the developing Nelson Rada. By placing an elite defender in center field, the Angels can now move Jo Adell back to right field where he was a Gold Glove finalist in 2024. In short, this improves two spots defensively while upgrading Bryce Teodosio's spot in the lineup.

Now it is time to bargain hunt.

Third base is the perpetual black hole in the lineup and there simply aren't enough resources to property address it here. Last year Yoan Moncada put up offense that was 17% better than league average and his power was a reason the Angels ranked 5th in baseball in team home runs. He played on a one year $5 million contract last season and I sign him for the same this year.

Ramon Urias isn't going to snag any headlines but he brings a really good glove and has positional versatility. Urias had a bit of a tough year at the plate last year but is 4% better than league average for his career and predicted for a wRC+ of 96 next season which is better than average for the keystone. He played for a hair over $3 million last season so I'll match that on a one year deal this year.

Where does this leave the Angels?

This is still a team lacking depth but there is at least a passable MLB quality player at every position. Minasian has brought Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom as Swiss Army knives and Urias can move around as well. The Angels would need to trust that trio to provide coverage for the inevitable injuries for Moncada.

The rotation is a lot more solid being headed by Kikuchi, Littell, and Soriano. That trio provides some stability while Reid Detmers transitions back to the rotation and Grayson Rodriguez hopefully transitions back to being healthy.

An outfield alignment of Trout in left, Bader in center, and Adell in right should provide great defense behind the pitching staff while providing potent offense. A keystone duo of Urias and Neto is a solid middle infield.

This does not add to the bullpen. In this regard, Perry has pretty much made his bed with the signing of Robert Stephenson and draft pick Ben Joyce. Either they step up and support the middle relief arms or the bullpen falls apart.

I wouldn't pick this roster to win the West or compete for a playoff spot, but I would expect competent baseball and a reasonable chance to win most nights when I bought a ticket or flipped on the TV.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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