The Los Angeles Angels and third baseman Anthony Rendon are in talks about buying out the final year of his contract, potentially bringing a resolution to the seven-year, $245 million deal that did not come close to paying dividends for the team, a source told ESPN on Wednesday.

Rendon, who spent the entire 2025 season recovering from hip surgery, is expected to retire, a source said.

The 35-year-old is owed $38 million in 2026. A potential buyout of that remaining money has not been finalized, and situations like this can often get complicated, but the expectation is that Rendon will defer at least part of that money, giving the team more financial flexibility to address needs this offseason.

The Angels made Rendon the game’s highest-paid third baseman in December 2019, after watching him star for the then-World Series champion Washington Nationals. If the Angels and Rendon’s agent, Scott Boras, are able to finalize a buyout, he will end up playing in just a quarter of the Angels’ games over the life of that deal, compiling 3.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement (fWAR).

A first-round pick out of Rice University in 2011, Rendon established himself as one of the game’s best all-around players with an emerging corps in Washington. He was a hitting savant and a gifted defender, and from 2016 to 2019 only nine position players put up more fWAR.

Rendon slashed .299/.384/.528 in that four-year stretch. His last season with the Nationals saw him finish third in National League MVP voting after putting up a career-high 1.010 OPS along with 34 home runs and a major-league-leading 126 RBIs while making his star turn in a postseason run that ended with the franchise’s first title.

With the spotlight cast onto him, Rendon’s publicly stated limited interest in baseball — he admitted often that it’s not his foremost priority, that it’s merely a job, and that he doesn’t care about the accolades or attention — became an endearing part of his personality. As the years went on, it became a referendum on his lack of productivity.

Rendon looked very much like his usual self during a 2020 season that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It proved to be the last time the Angels experienced anything close to Rendon’s prime. Over the next four years, he slashed just .231/.329/.336 while appearing in 205 of a potential 648 games. Injuries to his left groin, left knee, left hamstring, left shin, left oblique, lower back, both wrists and both hips sent him to the injured list.

The final blow came Feb. 12, 2025, when the Angels announced at the start of spring training that Rendon would undergo hip surgery and miss the season. Rendon spent the entire season away from the team, mostly rehabbing near his home in Houston. His last home run with the team occurred July 1, 2023. He never played in more than 58 games in a season.

Rendon’s albatross contract coincided with Mike Trout suffering a similar spate of bad injury luck. The unavailability of those two players — by far the team’s highest paid — coupled with an overall lack of depth throughout the roster, only furthered the Angels’ slide despite the emergence of Shohei Ohtani as a two-way phenomenon.

The Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014 and have not won a playoff game since 2009. The 2025 season marked their 10th in a row with a below-.500 record. Kurt Suzuki, Rendon’s teammate on the 2019 Nationals, has since been named the Angels’ manager — the team’s sixth in eight years.

Soon, at least, they can move on at third base.

Free agent starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who has made at least 32 starts in each of the past five seasons, has reached a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Wednesday.

With the deal, which is pending a physical, the Blue Jays add to an already formidable team that won the American League pennant and advanced to the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deciding Game 7.

Cease, 29, has been a reliable front-line starter for the past five seasons, ranking fourth in that span in pitcher WAR, ahead of Tarik Skubal, Max Fried and Framber Valdez.

The right-hander has alternated between dominant seasons and, given the quality of his stuff, disappointing ones. In 2022 and 2024, Cease finished second and fourth in Cy Young voting, respectively, while going 28-19 with a 2.84 ERA. In 2023 and 2025, he went 15-21 with a 4.57 ERA.

Cease has vertically oriented movement due to his higher slot, a fastball/breaking ball-heavy power approach (at least 80% fastball/slider to both righties and lefties) and an elevated walk rate at times paired with a big whiff rate.

His slider in particular fell off last year, going from the game’s most valuable by runs above average in 2024 to opposing hitters slugging .374 against it in 2025. Still, though, Cease is coming off posting a career-best strikeout rate of 29.8% and putting up a fielding independent pitching score of 3.56, a slight improvement when compared to his average from 2021 to 2024.

Those peripherals, when coupled with his age and the deficiencies of the other available starters, made him one of the most attractive pitchers in free agency.

Cease was tendered a $22.025 million qualifying offer by the Padres, which he declined by the Nov. 18 deadline. Because he signed with a new team, San Diego will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round.

A sixth-round pick from the Chicago Cubs out of Georgia in 2014, Cease originally went to the neighboring Chicago White Sox alongside Eloy Jimenez in a 2017 trade headlined by Jose Quintana, then was acquired by the San Diego Padres for a package of prospects in March of 2024.

In five years as a full-time starter from 2021 to 2025, Cease led the majors in strikeouts (1,106) but also in walks (361) and wild pitches (51).

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.

Somehow, 13 weeks of college football have already come and gone, leaving us with one, last Saturday of regular-season action. It’s hard to believe that, a mere three months ago, we thought LSU, Clemson and Penn State were top-10 teams, that when Florida State beat Alabama, it meant times had changed in Tallahassee, and that when Miami beat Notre Dame, it meant that the Hurricanes would have a better shot at the playoff than the Irish. What fools we all were!

But the beauty of Week 14 — of Rivalry Week — is that the 13 weeks that preceded it are little more than periphery details.

Who cares if Ohio State has been the best team in the country, when all that matters is beating Michigan?

The massive disappointment felt by Clemson and South Carolina fans is of little consequence this weekend, when at least one fan base will earn some needed redemption after a lost season.

Florida fired its coach. Florida State is keeping theirs. None of that matters when the two face off Saturday.

Georgia Tech‘s defense has collapsed and so, too, the team’s playoff hopes, but a win over rival Georgia would make this a magical season nevertheless.

Alabama has largely proved its playoff pedigree, but there’s still the small matter of the Iron Bowl, where Auburn can get a head start on scripting a new story for a program still in search of its next head coach by not only beating its rival but by sending the Tide to the back of the playoff line.

Up and down the docket, the games are big — not because of the records or the postseason stakes, but because Rivalry Week means something different altogether. It’s bragging rights for a year, it’s talking smack to your neighbors, it’s a chance to right anything that has gone wrong in the past 13 weeks and finish the season with a defining moment. — David Hale

Jump to:
Stakes in key matchups
Title game scenarios
Quotes of the week

What’s at stake in these key matchups?

No. 1 Ohio State (11-0) at No. 15 Michigan (9-2)
(noon ET, Fox)

The stakes: The Wolverines are seeking a fifth straight win in the series, which would be their longest winning streak in the rivalry since the 1920s. With a victory — coupled with either an Oregon or Indiana loss — Michigan could also advance to the Big Ten championship game while entering the CFP at-large bid conversation. The Buckeyes probably have already clinched a playoff berth. But they’re still aiming for a first-round playoff bye and potentially the No. 1 seed. With a win over Michigan, Ohio State would also advance to the Big Ten title game for the first time in five years, while ending Michigan’s hold on the rivalry — the only blemish on Ryan Day’s otherwise sterling tenure as Ohio State’s head coach.

Ohio State wins if: The Buckeyes play up to their capability. Lately, they’ve inexplicably saved their worst performances for Michigan, including last season, when they stunningly lost at home as a three-touchdown favorite before bouncing back to win the national title. These Buckeyes have been even more dominant to this point. Ohio State ranks fourth in offensive efficiency, while its defense has given up only 84 points all season. Assuming wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are ready to go after battling nagging lower-body injuries, the Buckeyes are college football’s most complete team with several future pros on both sides of the ball.

Michigan wins if: The Wolverines can hang around in the second half and intensify the pressure on the Buckeyes (9.5-point favorites), forcing Ohio State to play tightly yet again. Unlike last year, the Wolverines have the firepower on offense this time to test Ohio State, with dynamic freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, steady running back Jordan Marshall (who’s expected to return from a shoulder injury) and budding freshman receiver Andrew Marsh, who has emerged as Underwood’s go-to target in Big Ten play. If the Wolverines can land some big plays on offense and make the Big House crowd a factor, they have the defense (No. 5 nationally in EPA) to make this a fourth-quarter game, where, as this rivalry has proved over the years, anything can happen. — Jake Trotter

No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0) at No. 16 Texas (8-3)
(Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The stakes: For Texas, its playoff hopes. For A&M, it’s history. The Longhorns, who have made the CFP semifinals the past two seasons, need an upset to stay alive. The 11-0 Aggies, who haven’t won a conference title since 1998, can tie the school record of 12 wins and earn a trip to the SEC championship game. It’s a rare high-stakes matchup for both programs; this will be only the 12th time both teams have been ranked coming into the game, which is being played for the 120th time. Texas has won eight of the previous 11 meetings under such circumstances.

Texas A&M wins if: If the Aggies’ offensive line controls the game. A&M QB Marcel Reed completes just 42% of his throws under pressure but has been pressured on just 25% of dropbacks. The Aggies average 5.3 yards per carry between the tackles, and the Longhorns give up only 3.5 up the middle. On defense, if A&M can get Texas into third downs, it will have a distinct advantage. The Aggies have the best third-down defense in the country, allowing conversions only 21.5% of the time, second best in the FBS in the past 20 years, while Texas converts 41% of opportunities, 11th best in the SEC.

Texas wins if: Arch Manning continues to be efficient running the offense. The Aggies average a sack on 10.6% of dropbacks, second best in the FBS, and Manning has been comfortable throwing quick strikes to Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V, who have combined for 40 catches and 785 yards over the past four games. Defensively, it will have to limit big plays, something that has bedeviled the Longhorns of late: Reed has 43 passes of 20 or more yards, second to Alabama’s Ty Simpson (45). Texas has given up 37 such passes, second only to Arkansas (49). — Dave Wilson

No. 4 Georgia (10-1) at No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2)
(Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The stakes: For two teams who’ve spent the bulk of this season with playoff aspirations, there’s remarkably little postseason impact to be drawn from this one. Georgia Tech’s disaster against Pitt almost certainly means the Yellow Jackets are out, short of a miracle berth in the ACC championship game. Georgia’s win over Texas two weeks ago all but locked up a playoff bid for the Bulldogs. So, what’s at stake here? Look no further than last year’s eight-overtime thriller to understand. For Georgia, any postseason success would come tinged with regret if the Dawgs don’t take care of business here. For Tech, finally toppling the hated Bulldogs would be more than enough to ensure this season went down in the history books as one of the school’s best.

Georgia wins if: The Bulldogs’ defense can stop Haynes King. A year ago, the Georgia Tech QB tormented the Dawgs throughout the game, throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another 110 yards and three scores in a 44-42 defeat. The Jackets’ offense is relentless, thanks in large part to King’s brilliance, and though he’s guaranteed at least one more game with Tech before his college career ends, this will be his true farewell performance, meaning a player renowned for his toughness will leave nothing left in the tank. That puts the burden squarely on the Dawgs’ defensive front, which has to manage to corral King in the pocket but also not let him burn them downfield.

Georgia Tech wins if: It can stop the run. Georgia’s rushing offense has taken strides lately, but it still averages just a tick over 4.5 yards per carry — solid, but hardly spectacular. But Georgia Tech’s defense has made a habit of turning middling rushing attacks into unstoppable forces. The Jackets have given up at least 150 rushing yards in eight of their past nine games, and have surrendered 10 rushing touchdowns in their past three contests — two of which were losses. Tech has to figure out a way to keep Georgia’s offense one-dimensional, and if November’s performances are any indication, that’s going to be a major undertaking. — Hale

No. 14 Vanderbilt (9-2) at No. 19 Tennessee (8-3)
(3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The stakes: There’s more at stake for the Commodores, who can win 10 games in a season for the first time in school history and keep their CFP hopes alive. Depending on what happens elsewhere this weekend and next, Vandy could be in line for an at-large bid if it beats the Volunteers. Tennessee has won each of the past six games in the series (victories in 2019 and ’20 were later vacated because of NCAA rules violations) and most of the scores weren’t close. The Vols can win at least nine games for the fourth straight season and improve their standing in the SEC’s bowl pecking order.

Vanderbilt wins if: Quarterback Diego Pavia continues to carry the Commodores. He has played spectacularly this season and has the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, per ESPN BET. Pavia has turned it up a notch down the stretch, throwing for more than 350 passing yards in each of his past three games with 14 touchdowns (three rushing) and one interception. In last week’s 45-17 win against Kentucky, Pavia threw for a school-record 484 yards with five touchdowns on 33-for-39 passing.

Tennessee wins if: If the Volunteers contain Pavia and play keep-away as they did last season. In Tennessee’s 36-23 victory in Nashville in 2024, it limited Pavia to 104 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. He ran for 45 yards. The Volunteers ran for 281 yards and went 11-for-15 on third down, limiting the Commodores to only 11 offensive plays in the second half. This UT defense isn’t nearly as good as the one that led the Vols to the CFP last season. The Vols rank 14th in the SEC in scoring defense (27.2 points) and passing defense (247.1 yards), so they’re going to have to sustain drives on offense again. — Mark Schlabach

No. 10 Alabama (9-2) at Auburn (5-6)
(7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The stakes: The stakes are fairly straightforward: Alabama clinches a spot in the SEC championship game with a win over its rival, and that would put it in position to get into the CFP. As it stands, Alabama is on the bubble. A win in Atlanta would guarantee the Crimson Tide a spot in the 12-team playoff; a loss and things might get dicier. As for Auburn, nothing would be more fitting than clinching bowl eligibility with a win over its hated rival as a massive underdog. This has been a disappointing season for the Tigers, but a victory would make its year.

Alabama wins if: The matchup plays right into what Alabama does well. Auburn has a good run defense, and Alabama has struggled to get the ground game going; Auburn has a shakier pass defense, and Ty Simpson and his receivers have excelled in the passing game. So if Simpson can make plays to his skill players, the way he has for most of the season, Alabama will be in good shape. The key, like any game, is to take care of the football. Auburn is one of the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers.

Auburn wins if: Jeremiah Cobb has been one of the bright spots on offense for the Tigers, ranking No. 4 in the SEC in rushing with 936 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Though Alabama has made big improvements with its run defense in the last month of the season, if Cobb can get going on the ground, that would certainly help the Tigers control the clock and the game. As the underdog at home, staying in the game early to keep the crowd into it also will be key. — Andrea Adelson

No. 12 Miami (9-2) at No. 22 Pitt (8-3)
(noon ET, ABC)

The stakes: Though neither team is a front-runner to make it to the ACC championship game, both could sneak in depending on a few different scenarios. For Miami to make it to Charlotte, the Hurricanes have to win and then get help from potentially three teams. The more likely scenario here is the Hurricanes have to win to keep any hopes of an at-large bid to the CFP alive. For Pitt, getting to Charlotte is much simpler: A victory, plus a loss by either Virginia or SMU gets the Panthers into the ACC title game with a CFP spot on the line. Easier said than done, of course.

Miami wins if: The Hurricanes have played at a championship level on defense for the bulk of the season, and they will have to do the same against freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. Notre Dame proved that if he is under significant pressure, he could get flustered and make mistakes. Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor will be key. Carson Beck has nine interceptions on the season; six came in two losses. He has not thrown an interception since the loss to SMU, so continuing to play mistake-free in the passing game will be huge.

Pitt wins if: Pitt is known for its physical, aggressive defense, and that will be key to slowing Miami and forcing the Hurricanes into more passing situations than they want. That will ratchet up the chances that Beck makes a mistake. Last week against Georgia Tech, the Jackets intercepted Haynes King twice — including a 100-yard pick-six. The way to keep Miami from teeing off on Heintschel is to make sure the run game is a threat, the way it was against the Jackets. Without Desmond Reid, Pitt got 201 yards on the ground from Ja’Kyrian “Boosie” Turner. — Adelson

Conference championship scenarios

ACC

1. Win, OR

2. SMU loss + Pitt loss + clinch tiebreaker over Georgia Tech/Miami/Pitt/SMU

1. Win, OR

2. Pitt loss + Duke loss + clinch tiebreaker over Miami/Georgia Tech/SMU/Virginia

1. Win + Virginia loss, OR

2. Win + SMU loss

1. Win + Pitt loss + SMU loss, OR

2. Win + Pitt loss + Virginia loss + clinch tiebreaker versus Miami

1. Win + Virginia loss + Duke loss + SMU win, OR

2. Win + SMU loss + Duke loss + clinch tiebreaker over Virginia/Georgia Tech/SMU, OR

3. Win + SMU loss + Virginia loss + clinch tiebreaker over Virginia/Georgia Tech/SMU, OR

4. Win + SMU win + Duke win + Virginia loss + clinch tiebreaker over Duke

1. Pitt win + Virginia loss + SMU loss, OR

2. Miami win + SMU loss + Duke loss + clinch tiebreaker over Virginia/Miami/SMU

Big Ten

1. Win, OR

2. Ohio State loss

1. Win, OR

2. Indiana loss + Oregon loss

1. Win + Indiana loss, OR

2. Win + Oregon loss

1. Win + Ohio State loss

Big 12

1. Win, OR

2. ASU loss, OR

3. BYU loss + Utah win

1. Win, OR

2. ASU loss, OR

3. Texas Tech loss + Utah loss

1. Win + BYU loss, OR

2. Win + Texas Tech loss + Utah loss

1. Win + Texas Tech loss + BYU win + Arizona State win

SEC

1. Alabama loss, OR

2. Texas A&M loss

1. Win

1. Win, OR

2. Alabama loss + Ole Miss loss

1. Win + Texas A&M loss + Alabama loss

American

1. Win, OR

2. Loss by either North Texas or Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

3. Losses by both North Texas and Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

1. Win, OR

2. Losses by either Tulane or Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

3. Losses by both Tulane and Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

1. Win, and loss by either Tulane or North Texas

2. Loss by either Tulane or North Texas if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

3. Losses by both Tulane and North Texas if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

1. Win, and loss by two of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

2. Win, and losses by all of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

1. Win, and loss by two of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

2. Win, and losses by all of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

Conference USA

1. Win, OR

2. Kennesaw State loss

1. Win, OR

2. Kennesaw State loss + finish ahead of Kennesaw State in computer metrics

1. Win, OR

2. Western Kentucky loss + finish ahead of Western Kentucky

MAC

1. Win, OR

2. Ohio win, OR

3. Miami (Ohio) loss

1. Win + Western Michigan win, OR

2. Win + Miami (Ohio) loss

1. Win + Western Michigan loss, OR

2. Win + Central Michigan win

1. Win + Northern Illinois win + Miami (Ohio) loss + Central Michigan win + Beat Central Michigan in team rating score metric

1. Win + Ohio loss + Miami (Ohio) loss, OR

2. Win + Western Michigan loss + Ohio loss + Miami (Ohio) win, OR

3. Win + Kent State win + Miami (Ohio) loss, OR

4. Win + Kent State loss + Miami (Ohio) loss + beat Ohio in team rating score metric

Mountain West

1. Win, OR

2. Losses by Boise State and UNLV, OR

3. Finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams

1. Win + San Diego State win, OR

2. Win + finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams

3. UNLV loss + New Mexico loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

1. Win + Boise State loss + New Mexico loss, OR

2. Win + San Diego State loss + finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams, OR

3. Boise State loss + New Mexico loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

1. Win + Boise State loss, OR

2. Win + finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams, OR

3. Boise State loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

1. Win + Boise State loss + New Mexico loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

1. Win + Boise State loss + New Mexico loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

1. Win + New Mexico loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

Sun Belt

Quotes of the week

“Very important,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said Monday when asked about the importance of finishing the season with the Rebels amid speculation over his future entering Friday’s Egg Bowl. “I’ve never thought of anything different than that.”

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore on “The Game” and the Wolverines’ rivalry with Ohio State: “It’s a feeling that you can’t really describe. It’s an intensity. It’s just an aura about it that you just can’t describe until you get on the field. It’s awesome to be a part of. It’s the best rivalry in sports in my opinion. … It’s competitive and there’s nothing like it.”

Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer on the Iron Bowl: “I know what [it] means to the state here. A huge deal for us, as well. It’s a big game for a lot of reasons. We just focus on what it is, and it’s our big rivalry game. It’s an SEC game on the road. It’ll be an awesome environment. Just blessed to be a part of it, especially here on this Thanksgiving week, that’s what you think about it.”

“Beating them does a lot for me,” Washington‘s Jedd Fisch said ahead of Saturday’s visit from Oregon. “Knocking them out is just another part of it. We want to do everything we possibly can to get a win on Saturday. That is our plan to do everything possible to get that done. We will work exceptionally hard, knowing that we have a really, really good opponent coming into town.”

“I like that [for] this game that we get an opportunity to stand alone,” Texas’ Steve Sarkisian said of the Longhorns’ Friday night matchup with Texas A&M. “OK, so whether it’s Thanksgiving or Friday after Thanksgiving, I just think this game deserves the spotlight to stand alone. The fact that we’re playing on Friday night with all the eyes of college football on it — really the football world on this game — I think this game deserves that. So whatever that looks like [in the future]. Again, I’m not the decision-maker on that. But I do think this is a great opportunity for us.”

“Nothing matters, except a win on Saturday at noon,” Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi said of his Panthers, who are vying for a spot in the ACC title game as Miami visits in Week 14. “Nothing matters. We can’t control what other people do. We could have controlled it earlier in the year in one of our other ACC games, but all we can do is control and focus on one thing. We start worrying about other things out there, it doesn’t matter.”