The Former Nationals Watch (2024)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I agree with Grant Paulson's take on this: Fine when you are hitting, not fine when you have been a black hole in the lineup and are making a ton of money:

Anthony Rendon:
(Image removed from quote.)

I am 100% ok with him saying faith and family are his priorities, and that the fact that he's at camp shows he's committed to playing for the Angels. It's a job to him, but that doesn't mean he's dogging things just to get a check. An honest man puts in an honest effort at his job, and Rendon's bluntness shows he's honest, I/M/O. The "I don't want to talk to you at 7 AM" is a bit of his humor / blunt truth. He was always like that.

Am I the last person who doesn't have a dislike for him?

[Natsinpwc]

I am 100% ok with him saying faith and family are his priorities, and that the fact that he's at camp shows he's committed to playing for the Angels. It's a job to him, but that doesn't mean he's dogging things just to get a check. An honest man puts in an honest effort at his job, and Rendon's bluntness shows he's honest, I/M/O.

I am sure many players think like that.  They just don’t say it. I mean he smiles when he plays so must be enjoying it. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I am sure many players think like that.  They just don’t say it. I mean he smiles when he plays so must be enjoying it. 

tbh, I think he likes baseball but, if there's anything he dislikes, it's the ancillary things that pros go through. Not that those are unimportant, not that fans don't think they are entitled to professions of love and attention from the millionaires that wear the local laundry, it's just they are ancillary to hits, runs, and errors, which are the things that Rendon did as well as anyone for about a 4 or 5 year stretch.

[wj73]

I think this is a big FU to Angels fans. Rendon is saying that the team means a lot more to the fans than it does to him. He’s entitled to his feelings, but why say it? Just keep your mouth shut instead of telling the fans who love baseball and who love the Angels that he doesn’t really care.

[imref]

It seems obvious he doesn’t love baseball or care about winning. It’s just a job.

[BigMeech]

The only thing that stops me from actively disliking Rendon was because he played such a huge role in winning the World Series in 2019.  I get that maybe he's lost whatever passion he's had for the game, but you'd think he stocks shelves for a living with how he talks about baseball.  Rendon is living the dream and yet all he does is seemingly complain about the job and play like crap whenever he actually clocks in.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

The one thing that sticks out to me is that he made a pro/con list about staying in the game back in 2014.  That seems very unusual and a pretty strong indication that he just sort of half-heartedly plays baseball.

That's fine and all - he doesn't have to like it.  He just comes across as fairly out of touch when he complains about the length of the season considering he's going to be able to retire fairly soon having made millions, while a lot of people have to grind at a 9-5 until they're 70 just to eke out a survivable retirement.

[Natsinpwc]

The one pro on his last was making an insane amount of money for playing a game. 

[IanRubbish]

He hasn't played more than 60 games in a season since coming to the Angels.  Wouldn't be surprised if he came up with an injury that would allow him to stay home a good part of this season.

His negotiations with the Nats fell apart over deferrals, because he wouldn't accept any.  Instead of embarrassing themselves with the Strasburg situation, they should be overjoyed Rendon didn't sign. 

[Senatorswin]

I am sure many players think like that.  They just don’t say it. I mean he smiles when he plays so must be enjoying it.

We wouldn't know if he still smiles when he plays because he rarely plays.

For the kind of money he's making part of the deal is putting up with the fans he cussed out and the reporters who want to ask him questions. Also, not alienate the fans who pay good money to see him sit on the bench. I remember last year when Ohtani didn't even want to sit next to him.

[machpost]

Rendon is simply not good at speaking to the press or dealing with hostile fans. He'd be doing himself a huge favor by hiring himself a PR team, though it's probably too late for that to do much good, and he doesn't seem to care what anyone who isn't God or his family thinks of him.

[blue911]

Reminds me of Zack Greinke in his interpersonal skills.

[Senatorswin]

I saw the interview with Rendon. When they asked him if he wanted to be there playing baseball for the Angels all he had to say is yes he's looking forward to the Angels having a successful season. He is the very definition of a jerk. He goes out of his way to show what a jerk he is.

[varoadking]

I saw the interview with Rendon. When they asked him if he wanted to be there playing baseball for the Angels all he had to say is yes he's looking forward to the Angels having a successful season. He is the very definition of a jerk. He goes out of his way to show what a jerk he is.

A very rich jerk...

[GburgNatsFan]

Reminds me of Zack Greinke in his interpersonal skills.

I listen to Greinke and I think "spectrum." Tony, not so much.

[nfotiu]

I am sure many players think like that.  They just don’t say it. I mean he smiles when he plays so must be enjoying it. 

He spends as much time yawning as he does smiling.

I can see where he is coming from a bit.   He got really good at something that he didn't totally love.  That doesn't make him a bad person by any means.   

I'm glad he's the Angels problem and not ours.   He's really giving a lot of fodder to any fan who might think he is not doing everything he can to stay in the game and come back from injuries.   It might be a bit irrational, but being a sports fan is a bit irrational, and the more the players act like it is just a job, it breaks down the illusion of why we love sports.   Yeah, I do my job for the money, but nobody is going to spend money to watch me work!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/trying-on-some-fits-for-michael-a-taylor/

Suggests in rough order: Twins, Angels, and possibly the Red Sox (if they move Duran) or Padres (still with holes in the OF). Pittsburgh would be good, too, but have likely committed too much money this winter to sign him.

[varoadking]

I'm hoping to open this thread at some point during Spring Training and seeing Carter Kiebust and Victor Roblow's names...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm hoping to open this thread at some point during Spring Training and seeing Carter Kiebust and Victor Roblow's names...

let's get greedy and add Luis Garcia to the list!

[imref]

I'm hoping to open this thread at some point during Spring Training and seeing Carter Kiebust and Victor Roblow's names...

haven't seen any mention of Kieboom so far in camp coverage, maybe he's already gone (or hurt?)

[Smithian]

I agree with Grant Paulson's take on this: Fine when you are hitting, not fine when you have been a black hole in the lineup and are making a ton of money:

Anthony Rendon:
(Image removed from quote.)

I had no problem about this until the last question.

Fans in the stands and watching on TV have made him one of the top 0.01% of richest people on this planet of 7 billion people. The least he could do is say, "Yes, I am glad to be playing for the fans of the Angels."

All of us have job and clients/customers. Being polite to those people is part of the job.

[Senatorswin]

I had no problem about this until the last question.

Fans in the stands and watching on TV have made him one of the top 0.01% of richest people on this planet of 7 billion people. The least he could do is say, "Yes, I am glad to be playing for the fans of the Angels."

All of us have job and clients/customers. Being polite to those people is part of the job.

Exactly. At this point he's going out of his way to be the biggest jerk he can be. You would think if he had any decency he would at least be civil to the press and try to say the right things for the Angels sake who have given him so much money with almost no return.

[varoadking]

let's get greedy and add Luis Garcia to the list!

 

[Natsinpwc]

Could we add the Lerner family? I guess not. 

[Natsinpwc]

This is the most national publicity the Angels will get all year.  Other than Mike Trout trade rumors.