Anthony Rizzo has been an integral part of the New York Yankees since joining the ball club in 2021, and by his own admission, he doesn’t want that to change any time soon.
Rizzo was recently welcomed back to Wrigley Field with open arms when the Yankees took on his former team the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch on X, the former 2016 World Series champion unveiled the team he wants to hang up his cleats with ahead of the matchup, and Yankees fans can sleep easy knowing that it is with the Bronx Bombers (h/t Michael Sakuraba of New York Yankees on SI):
“I really hope to retire as a Yankee,” Rizzo said.
Yankees: Anthony Rizzo has clung to his customary play as his career winds down
At 35 years of age, Rizzo is nearing the end of his illustrious career. The three-time All-Star is still utilized in the Yankees’ M-O, but he has seen his play taper off in 2024 and is noticeably removed from a campaign that garnered end-of-season accolades. His last one came in 2020, when he took home his fourth and final Gold Glove award prior to coming to New York.
The Florida native has not been an All-Star or Silver Slugger award recipient since 2016. In 2024, Rizzo has given the Yanks eight home runs in 76 games played behind a .222/.285/.338 slash line and a negative WAR of -0.5. Rizzo has played well at first base, though, owning a 99.5 percent fielding percentage to the tune of 490 putouts and 67 assists to only three errors committed.
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The Yankees’ playoff finish & offseason payroll will determine if Rizzo retires in the Bronx
New York still has Rizzo under contract, and the 14-year veteran will be on a team option for the 2025 MLB campaign. His last deal was for two years at $41 million, which he signed after the 2022 season. With all of this taken into consideration, coupled with pressure on the Yankees’ organization to deliver a World Series with a roster that has next to no holes in it, Rizzo remains a solid option that the team will likely hang on to, especially once he gets the chance to get in his groove following his return from a forearm injury that sidelined him from June 16 until Sept. 1.
He has a good chance to call it a career in New York. Nevertheless, he made his bones in Chicago and gave the Cubs nearly 10 years of great play as one of the premier first basemen of his era. The Cubs franchise received just due from their former star slugger, who divulged how much of a privilege it was for him to play at Wrigley Field for all of those years. Albeit for now, Rizzo and the Yankees have their eyes on capturing a World Series crown this fall. Whether or not that is achieved will be a major determinant in where Rizzo winds down his career.
