Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals holds the Commissioner's Trophy after defeating the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 to win the World Series at Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas, October 30, 2019.
Another heavyweight slugger was booked on the MLB free agent market. Anthony Rendon agreed to a seven-year, 245-million-U.S.-dollar contract offered by the Los Angeles Angels, reported MLB.com on Wednesday.
Having missed out Gerrit Cole, the Angels did not want to miss 29-year-old Rendon, who just helped the Washington Nationals win their first World Series title in history with two home runs in Game 6 and Game 7.
The 2019 season could not have been any better for Rendon, who hit a majors-leading 126 RBIs and a career-high .319/.412/.598. In the 17 playoff games he played, Rendon had three homers and 15 RBIs at .324.
Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals hits a home run in Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas, October 30, 2019.
Before the 2019 season had started, Rendon signed a one-year, 18.8-million-U.S.-dollar contract with the Nationals and he proved he's worth way more than that. According to the Washington Post, though the team earlier offered him a seven-year, 210-215-million-dollar contract extension, it did not keep Rendon from seeking better offers on the free agent market.
In the new season, Rendon will link up with Japanese pitcher Shohei Ohtani to assist three-time American League MVP Mike Trout in his chase for his first World Series title. Having signed a monstrous 12-year, 430-million-U.S.-dollar deal with the Angels in March, Trout will be with the team until 2030 and thus the Angels' head office has no reason to spare money on franchise improvements.
Landing Rendon, a top third baseman, is the right move for the Angels. Having failed to land Adrian Beltre, the team saw the 40-year-old and the Texas Rangers turn their pitchers into batting machines. Last season, the Angels' third base ended bottom in RBIs and OPS, and No. 25 in OBP. Rendon's arrival should help the team in this position thanks to his No. 1 RBI, No. 6 OPS and No. 4 OBP.