Yankees Predicted to Cut Ties With Struggling $51 Million Slugger

Getty Yankees 1B Anthony Rizzo

In some ways, the postseason for Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been much different–in the best possible way–than the regular season. He has been reliable at the plate, batting .429 against the Guardians in the ALCS thus far. That’s a far stretch from how his regular season went.

But the playoffs are eerily familiar for Rizzo and the Yankees in that staying healthy has been a challenge. Rizzo missed the ALDS series against Kansas City after breaking the ring and pinky fingers on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch back on September 28. The Yankees were reluctant to play Rizzo at all in the ALCS, fearing the effects of the injury, but put him in because of his defensive ability at first.

In the big picture, though, this is probably it for Rizzo as far as his now four-year career in the Bronx goes. Rizzo signed a three-year, $51 million contract after he was traded from the Cubs in 2021. But the final year, in 2025, is only partially guaranteed, at $6 million out of the $17 million total.

Coming off a year in which he was injured and batted only .228 with a .301 on-base percentage and a .335 slugging mark, it’s a longshot that the Yankees would bring back Rizzo.

Anthony Rizzo’s Option Set to Be Declined

That’s the notion at Spotrac, the contract-expert website, where managing editor Mike Ginnitti did a breakdown of potential option decisions for MLB teams in the upcoming offseason.

Ginnitti wrote: “Father Time hasn’t been kind to Rizzo both from a production and reliability standpoint of late, putting the Yankees in position to take on the $6M buyout in favor of a $17M salary next season.”

As for the Yankees’ option, he wrote: “DECLINED.”

To be fair to Rizzo, the two injuries he suffered this year were both freak occurrences. Before breaking his fingers, Rizzo had suffered a broken bone in his arm in June, which caused him to miss two-and-a-half months, interrupting what had already been a disappointing year.

At the time of his injury, Rizzo was batting just .223 with a career-low .630 OPS.

One problem for the Yankees: They are sorely lacking other options at first base. Throughout the year, they used the mostly toothless combination of rookie Ben Rice—who struggled after an initially strong start—and DJ LeMahieu, with a sprinkling of Oswaldo Cabrera.

Yankees Lacking Depth at First Base

When the Yankees sat Rizzo to start Game 3 against the Guardians on Thursday, they used utility man Jon Berti in his place. Berti was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Rizzo came in as a pinch hitter and was intentionally walked.

If he is bought out by the Yankees, it is possible that Rizzo could retire. That might depend, in part, on how the Yankees’ postseason turns out. Ending his career with a championship in New York after having been a hero in ending the Cubs’ World Series drought in 2016 would be a nifty way to go.

It is also possible that the Yankees could bring back Rizzo on a cheaper deal after the buyout. If the Yankees succeed in re-signing outfielder Juan Soto to a megadeal this winter, they could be willing to fill in at first base on the cheap.