The New York Yankees might have their sights set on superstar slugger, Aaron Judge, but they also had to make a big decision on first baseman, Anthony Rizzo.
The veteran infielder was receiving interest from multiple teams on the free agent market, notably the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros. However, the Yankees were never going to let one of their staples leave, inking him to a multi-year deal on Tuesday afternoon, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rizzo is coming off a fantastic season at 33-year-old for the Bombers. He hit .224 with a 33.8% on-base rate and .480 slugging, including 32 homers and 75 RBIs across 130 games this past season. Rizzo hasn’t played below 130 games since 2012, not including the Covid abbreviated season. He earned an 18.4% strikeout rate and a 10.6% walk rate to go with a 132 wRC+.
However, the veteran was electric during the postseason for the Yankees, one of their only hitters to show up. Over nine playoff games, he hit .276 with a 43% on-base rate, two homers, and eight RBIs.
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Yankees land Anthony Rizzo on a solid multi-year contract:
According to Jack Curry of YES Network, Rizzo is expected to sign a two-year, $34 million deal with a club option for $17 million in the third year. This will include a $6 million buyout if the Yankees want to move on.
Now, general manager Brian can look toward Judge, one of Rizzo‘s best friends, offering him a massive payday to stay with a club. Given the team expects to utilize a myriad of youth players next year, keeping the price point down at multiple premium positions, they can afford to spend money elsewhere.