Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon just keeps sticking his foot in his mouth.
The oft-injured multi-millionaire was in the news in January for imploring the league to shorten the season, despite the fact that he hasn’t played a full season since 2019.
His comments prompted his former teammate Jonathan Papelbon to say the slugger “literally hates baseball,” and Rendon’s recent comments seem to confirm that.
In an interview with The Athletic, Rendon told Sam Blum baseball has “never been a top priority for me. This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving.”
Anthony Rendon on playing pro baseball:
“It’s never been a top priority for me. This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving.”
Here’s the full exchange: pic.twitter.com/xtgaywzNx9
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) February 19, 2024
Faith and family coming before work is totally respectable. Downright commendable in fact. But beyond that, the employer that is paying you a quarter of a million dollars to play a kid’s game should be right there on your list.
It’s just such a terrible look for a dude who’s been constantly injured, not managing to play more than 60 games in a season since 2019, and who’s also been pretty terrible even when healthy. He’s sporting a .249 average in his four years with the Angels compared to a .290 clip with the Nationals. (RELATED: Shohei Ohtani’s Contract Is Patently Absurd)
If he was a measured, cool and calm speaker who carefully enunciated the high place in his life that his family and his faith have, I’d be the first one to say “bravo.”
But instead his comments seem to be indicative of his growing frustration with the game that’s given him so much. In 2023 he was suspended for literally grabbing and trying to punch a fan, so clearly his exasperation with the game is boiling over.
Fans took to Twitter to blast the tone deaf interview.
One Baseball Pro contributor joked about his dedication to the team compared to that of his teammate, superstar centerfielder Mike Trout. “MIKE TROUT: I would die for the Angels. I signed that contract with my own blood and I’ll die on the field trying to win a championship for them ANTHONY RENDON: you want me to go up to the plate 3 or 4 times a game? Like every day?!”
MIKE TROUT: I would die for the Angels. I signed that contract with my own blood and I’ll die on the field trying to win a championship for them
ANTHONY RENDON: you want me to go up to the plate 3 or 4 times a game? Like every day?!
— Robert Orr (@NotTheBobbyOrr) February 19, 2024
Another analyst summed up my feelings perfectly, saying “Really hard to root for Anthony Rendon. Baseball doesn’t have to be your passion but this is a bad look for a $300m player who barely plays and when he does, it’s been bad.”
Really hard to root for Anthony Rendon. Baseball doesn’t have to be your passion but this is a bad look for a $300m player who barely plays and when he does, it’s been bad https://t.co/rsSa8NVbqt
— Marc Luino (@GiraffeNeckMarc) February 19, 2024
At the end of the day, Rendon complains a lot for a guy who makes hundreds of millions to play a kid’s game.