Before taking off his pinstripes on Wednesday night, more than an hour after the final out of the World Series, Anthony Rizzo openly expressed his desire to remain with the Yankees. “I feel like I still have a lot to contribute to this game in various ways,” Rizzo said. “I don’t want to take [this uniform] off.” While there is still a possibility that the first baseman could return next year, the Yankees’ decision made on Saturday leaves uncertainty about that. Rizzo is now a free agent because the Yankees declined his $17 million club option for the 2025 season. This also means the Yankees will need to pay a $6 million buyout.
It was the sensible decision, allowing the Yankees to move forward at the position and look for an upgrade for next season. Alternatively, they could negotiate with Rizzo to bring him back on a contract that’s cheaper than the initial $17 million option. Rizzo was acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline in 2021, and while he had some impactful moments, injuries hindered his performance during the last two seasons of his contract. In 2023, he experienced post-concussion syndrome following a collision with Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. at first base, which compromised him during the summer. He was ultimately sidelined in early August after playing just 99 games. This year, Rizzo missed more than two months due to a fractured forearm. Before the injury, his lackluster performance continued, resulting in the worst numbers of his career. On the second-to-last day of the regular season, he fractured two fingers in his right hand after being hit by a pitch.
Although Rizzo was unavailable for the Division Series, he returned for the Championship Series and World Series, playing through his injuries. He managed to hit .429 (6-for-14) in the ALCS against the Guardians, but struggled in the World Series against the Dodgers, batting just .125 (2-for-16). Notably, he did not hit a home run from June 14 until the end of the postseason. Despite being a close friend of team captain Aaron Judge and a respected leader in the Yankees’ clubhouse, his declining production may compel the team to explore other options at first base going forward. Over his three full seasons with the Yankees, Rizzo posted a slash line of .231/.324/.406. His wRC+ of 106 ranked 19th out of 27 players with over 750 plate appearances at first base during that time.
First base has been a long-standing weakness for the Yankees, making it important for the organization to seek improvements, whether through trade or free agency. Since 2016, the last year of the Mark Teixeira era, Yankees first basemen have recorded the lowest batting average (.235) and the third-lowest OPS (.733) of any team in Major League Baseball.
The only viable internal candidates to succeed Rizzo would be lefty-swinging prospect Ben Rice, who stepped in for the veteran after his forearm injury, or DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu is under contract for two more full seasons, earning $15 million per year. In the open market, the Yankees might aim to sign a big-name player like Pete Alonso or Christian Walker. The competition for Juan Soto in free agency could influence their offseason budget. Alternatively, the Yankees could pursue a trade to find a starting first baseman, possibly employing a strategy similar to their approach in addressing ongoing issues in left field, where they used prospect assets and pitching depth to acquire Alex Verdugo last winter.
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