The New York Yankees initially traded for first baseman Anthony Rizzo ahead of the 2021 trade deadline. Then, he signed a two-year deal before the 2023 campaign, one that also contained a $17 million option with a $6 million buyout for 2025.
The Yankees hold the option, so it’s unlikely they decide to bring back Rizzo on a $17 million salary. He could be brought back depending on the terms, but it’s definitely not set in stone, and he knows it.
With the Yankees having their backs against the wall in the World Series (they are 0-3 and the next loss will eliminate them) against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rizzo spoke about the feeling of playing what could be his last game with the team.
“Anthony Rizzo said he recognizes “this could very well be” his last game with the Yankees. “I’m a realist. I’m not naive to it. I think that will all shake out when the time is right,” Yanks insider Bryan Hoch posted on X with the first baseman’s words.
Rizzo knows it could be the last time he wears a Yankees uniform
Rizzo hasn’t been the same since suffering a concussion in late May 2023. In 2024, he posted a disappointing .636 OPS with just eight home runs in 337 at-bats.
Even though he has been solid in the playoffs with a .926 OPS, the Yankees know he is already declining and are probably not sold on the idea of retaining him for 2025, at least not under a $17 million salary.
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Rizzo has been a solid Yankee from the moment he landed on the team, and it would be sad to see him go if that’s the case. The off-season is long and complex, though, so he knows it’s a waiting game before he finds out where he will be playing next year.