Anthony Rendon has felt the heat over his recent comments, and now one of his former teammates is calling him out.
The Angels third baseman said Monday that baseball “wasn’t my top priority,” and that he was approached by former All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon afterward.
The 43-year-old, who spent a season and a half with the Nationals and Rendon (2015-16), was beside himself while talking about the $245 million third baseman on the show.
“Every day, this guy shows up to go out. It was like a chore,” Papelbon said on Tuesday’s episode of “Foul Territory” of what he saw from Rendon in Washington, D.C.
“He got away with it purely on raw athleticism and raw talent. … There’s a reason he hasn’t been as successful as he really, really could have been. He’s got more underachievement than the three of us combined. He has a talent for processing, but at the end of the day, he doesn’t give his all.”
Rendon, 33, was one of the top corner infielders in the game in Washington, earning MVP votes in each of his four seasons before helping the Nationals win the 2019 World Series.
He took advantage of that and signed a seven-year contract with the Angels, but things have gone dire for Rendon ever since after a much-shortened season in 2020.
He has battled injuries, played fewer than 60 games in each of the last three years, and hit .236/.361/.318 in a career-low 43 games last season.
Rendon had an affair with an A’s fan in Oakland, for which he was suspended and fined.
The corner infielder spoke to reporters Monday about his priorities, saying playing baseball isn’t at the top of his list.
“It was never a priority for me,” Rendon said. According to The Athletic. “This is a job. I do this for a living. My faith, my family, comes before this job.
“So if something like that happens before then, I’m going to leave.”
Papelbon said he understands players have personal lives and things going on off the diamond, but added that the 162-game struggle is “something you sign up for.”
But even with that in mind, the former hard-throwing right-hander said he didn’t want Rendon on his team.
“Honestly, if I were the Angels GM, I would try to get rid of this guy as soon as possible,” Papelbon said on Tuesday’s “Foul Territory.”
The closer said that if Rendon really believed his words, he should have kept quiet because it could be a “cancer” inside the clubhouse.
Rendon still has three years left on his contract, including this season.
“It’s going to be the worst deal ever,” Papelbon said. “It’s been proven that way.”
