Angels News: Anthony Rendon Didn't Believe Shohei Ohtani Would Return This Offseason

The Los Angeles Angels are heading into their first season in six years without two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who recently signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with cross-town market rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Coming into the offseason, Ohtani had a nonzero chance of re-signing with the Angels. However, his former teammate Anthony Rendon didn't think Ohtani was coming back.

Appearing on the Jack Vita Show, Rendon was asked if he thought Ohtani would come back and play for the Angels.

Rendon responded to Vita by stating he didn't think Ohtani was coming back:

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon did not expect Shohei Ohtani to re-sign with the club, he tells the Jack Vita Show. Rendon did not think Ohtani would be returning for 2024 and beyond.
Catch the full, 70-minute, exclusive interview: https://t.co/JScTHSDtYi #Angels pic.twitter.com/PL330ZGhHO
— Jack Vita (@JackVitaShow) January 11, 2024

Rendon went on to say that everything he brings to baseball outside of the field played another reason for it. Ohtani is the sport's most marketable player with a reported $65 million in endorsements — by far the most in baseball.

"He had to explore somewhere else right. And just the fact that what he does to the game of baseball, they're gonna make so much money off of it. It's unbelievable"

Per Anthony Rendon of The Jack Vita podcast

As he is now transitioning from playing in Anaheim to Los Angeles, there is a belief that Ohtani's ad money will increase as he begins this second part of his MLB career.

As for Rendon, he's on the record as being averse to the "Hollywood lifestyle."

To each his own.