The Los Angeles Angels and third baseman Anthony Rendon are in talks about buying out the final year of his seven-year, $245 million contract, a source told ESPN on Wednesday. Rendon, who missed the entire 2025 season recovering from hip surgery, is expected to retire if a buyout is finalized.

Rendon is owed $38 million in 2026. The expectation is that Rendon will defer at least part of that money, giving the Angels more financial flexibility to address roster needs this offseason.

Rendon appeared in just 205 of 810 games over the past five seasons due to injuries. If the buyout is finalized, he will have played in only a quarter of the Angels' games during the life of his deal while compiling 3.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement.

The Angels signed Rendon in December 2019 after he starred for the World Series champion Washington Nationals. Agent Scott Boras represents Rendon in the buyout negotiations.

Rendon looked like his usual self during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Over the next four years, he slashed just .231/.329/.336 while battling injuries to his groin, knee, hamstring, shin, oblique, back, wrists and hips.

The Angels announced February 12, 2025, that Rendon would undergo hip surgery and miss the entire season. He spent the year rehabbing near his home in Houston away from the team.

From 2016 to 2019, only nine position players produced more fWAR than Rendon. He slashed .299/.384/.528 during that four-year stretch with the Nationals.

His final season in Washington saw him finish third in National League MVP voting with a career-high 1.010 OPS, 34 home runs and a major-league-leading 126 RBIs. His performance helped the Nationals win their first franchise title.

Rendon's last home run with the Angels occurred July 1, 2023. He never played in more than 58 games in a season with Los Angeles.