The Atlanta Braves are typically one of the savvier organizations in the league. They were one of the first clubs to lock up their young stars way ahead of their arbitration years with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies, though in the case of Acuña Jr., we will see the cost-savings come to a swift end.
Still, most of the worst contracts the Braves have handed out in recent memory aren't all that bad, at least in comparison with the rest of the league. Therefore, it might be curious to learn that the owner of the consensus worst contract in MLB history, Anthony Rendon, was nearly a Brave.
This was, of course, years before the seven-year, $245 million monstrosity he signed with the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the 2020 season. Instead, Rendon was a 27th-round pick (the current iteration of the draft is capped at 20 rounds) of the Braves back in 2008.
Braves drafted Anthony Rendon, but lost the all-time free-agent bust when he refused to sign
At the time, Rendon was a high schooler coming out of Texas who grew up idolizing Chipper Jones. At the time, he was a much higher-rated prospect than his draft slot, but with him seemingly intent on going to college, he fell as teams feared they'd be able to sign him.
Atlanta thought they had gotten a real steal and put the full-court press on him to sign, despite his lowly draft position. He ultimately stayed close to home and went to Rice University, becoming a first-round pick drafted sixth overall by the Washington Nationals in 2011.
Rendon ironically made his MLB debut in 2013, meaning in an alternate timeline, he could have taken over directly for his idol after Jones retired following the 2012 season. Had that happened, who knows where we'd be today.
Rendon looked like a budding star in his sophomore campaign in 2014, batting .287/.351/.473 with 21 homers, 17 stolen bases, and superb defense at the hot corner. He finished his tenure with the Nationals with a .290/.369/.490 line over seven seasons. If the Braves got that and then let him walk, they'd have been ecstatic.
Almost as soon as the ink had dried on Rendon's contract with the Angels, his baseball worth plummeted. He actually had a really good year in 2020, his first year in Anaheim, slashing .286/.418/.497. Things rapidly deteriorated from there.
He wouldn't top 58 games played in any of the five seasons he spent with the Angels, and ended his tenure with a .242/.348/.369 line. Injuries and a lack of desire to actually play baseball (and keep himself in shape) led to his career falling apart and made him a villain among Angels fans.
So while you're busy raging at Jurickson Profar, remember things could always be worse. Count your blessings that Atlanta failed to sign Rendon, meaning he never got the chance to enamor the club with his skill at a clear position of need as a young player, and pull the wool over its eyes to score a big albatross of a contract that could've set the franchise back years.