Dodgers Reportedly ‘Pessimistic’ in Pursuit of Coveted Free Agent Anthony Rendon
By Michael Luciano
Anthony Rendon is going to have half a dozen $200 million offers thrown his way in free agency, as a divorce from the Washington Nationals is looking more likely after they chose to commit $245 million towards Stephen Strasburg.
Rendon figured to be a prime target for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the team is feeling "pessimistic" about their chances of luring the star third baseman to Hollywood.
#Dodgers pessimistic on chances of landing free-agent third baseman Anthony Rendon, sources tell The Athletic. #Rangers remain heavily involved. #Angels also interested, too. #Nationals a long shot; Rendon balked at deferrals in their initial seven-year, $210M-$215M offer.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2019
Rendon has been linked with several teams, but most frequently his name has been tossed in the ring with the Dodgers, Angels and Rangers. While the latter two teams are still very much in play, the Dodgers reportedly don't deem it likely Rendon signs a deal with them.
The slugger hit .319 with 34 home runs while leading the NL in doubles with 44 and RBI with 126.
While the Dodgers are looking for that next big piece on offense to propel them past the usual suspects in the NL, the presence of Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and top prospect Gavin Lux could create a bit of a logjam.
Apparently, our World Series championship team had some pretty good players on it.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) December 10, 2019
All-@MLB First Team:
Max Scherzer
Stephen Strasburg
Anthony Rendon
All-MLB Second Team:
Juan Soto
Congrats, guys! pic.twitter.com/hGBAYdfONl
Rendon's deal will surely surpass the $200 million mark, and likely by a decent margin, but the Dodgers no longer anticipate that they'll be the team striking a deal with the 29-year-old.