Jonathan Papelbon Believes Anthony Rendon Does Not Cares About Baseball At All

Pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, a six-time All-Star and World Series winner who announced his retirement following the 2016 campaign, took a jab at Los Angeles Angels star Anthony Rendon for claiming that baseball was not his first focus.

Jonathan Papelbon Believes Anthony Rendon Does Not Cares About Baseball At All

On an episode of “Foul Territory,” Papelbon, who played alongside Rendon for the Washington Nationals in 2015 and 2016, claimed on Tuesday that the third baseman just “doesn’t give an s—.”

The 43-year-old, who played for the Nationals and Rendon together for a season and a half (2015–16), was ecstatic about the $245 million third baseman during the interview.

“Every single day this guy shows up to go out, it was like a chore,” Papelbon said Tuesday’s episode of “Foul Territory” of what he saw from Rendon in D.C.

“He strictly got away with just raw athleticism and just raw talent. … There’s a reason why he’s not as successful as he really, truly could be. He’s got more raw talent than the three of us combined, but at the end of the day, he just doesn’t give a s–t.”

Rendon has not played more than half of a season with the Angels because of injuries, with the exception of the 52 games he participated in in 2020 when the season was cut short to just 60 games.

As the 2024 season got underway, he seemed healthy and told reporters how much he loved playing baseball. He claimed that nothing has changed in his profession, but he does not view the sport as his major focus.

“This is a job,” Rendon said. “I do this to make a living. My faith, my family comes first before this job.”

Rendon claimed his priorities have changed from 2014 to 2024.

“It’s a lot different. I’m married. I have four kids,” he said. “My priorities have changed since I was in my early 20s. So, definitely, my perspective on baseball has been more skewed.”

Papelbon continued by saying he was aware that Rendon would be the worst deal ever made when he signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels as a free agency.

“I knew that when he became a free agent … I was like, ‘whoever gets that dude is going to get totally bamboozled; it’s going to be the worst deal in history,’” Papelbon added. “And it’s proven that way.”

How many games has Rendon played for the Angels?

Since agreeing to a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels in December 2019, Rendon has only appeared in 200 games.

Is Anthony Rendon a switch hitter?

That inning saw Rendon blast a home run on his non-dominant side, giving the Angels two additional runs. They emerged victorious 12–0. Maddon decided to label his guy as a switch hitter based on that sufficient information.

Does Anthony Rendon have a no trade clause?

Contract Notes:
Full No Trade Clause. WS MVP: $250,000. LCS MVP: $150,000. All Star Starter: $125,000.

 

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