With up to two years of club control remaining, “there’s not much urgency” for Anthony Rizzo or the Cubs to explore a new contract, the first baseman told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday. As you’d expect, however, the franchise icon hopes to ink a long-term pact with the Cubs sometime in the next couple years.
“I do want to stay here. I do want to be a Cub,” said Rizzo, who celebrated his 30th birthday Thursday.
Unlike most players, Rizzo landed a hefty contract toward the beginning of his career. Early in the 2013 season, just over a year after Chicago acquired Rizzo from San Diego in what became a steal of a trade, the Cubs locked him up to a seven-year, $41MM guarantee. Rizzo is in the last of those guaranteed seasons at the moment, but as of now, the Cubs are sure to exercise his $16.5MM options for each of the next two years. Thanks to the money he has collected (and will continue to collect) on his current deal, Rizzo told Wittenmyer he’s “set, financially,” which is an important reason he doesn’t feel the need to push for another payday yet.
Now in his eighth season with the Cubs, Rizzo’s enjoying yet another strong campaign, having slashed .284/.389/.511 with 21 home runs in 473 plate appearances. Since he first graced Chicago’s lineup, Rizzo has batted .275/.374/.494 with 211 HRs, 28.5 fWAR and three All-Star nods over 4,880 PA. He also helped the Cubs to an elusive world championship in 2016, and is generally regarded as one of the best people in baseball.
Rizzo’s near-spotless track record doesn’t mean the Cubs will pony up for him when the time comes, as plenty can change before his control expires. However, if he stays on his current track, Rizzo may have a case for a nine-figure contract soon. The archrival Cardinals handed fellow superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt a five-year, $130MM extension prior to this season, which could give Rizzo something to aim for. That accord won’t kick in until next year, Goldschmidt’s age-32 season.
While Goldschmidt has posted a better career than Rizzo in terms of individual numbers and awards, the latter hasn’t been that far below him since breaking out in 2014. Rizzo has actually been the superior player this year to Goldschmidt, who’s now amid the worst season of his career. Of course, if Goldschmidt’s unexpected slide continues, it could influence the Cubs to tread lightly on a bank-breaking Rizzo deal. Even though Rizzo has provided the Cubs immense on- and off-field value throughout his career, he acknowledged to Wittenmyer that “this is a business, and it’s as cutthroat as ever, right now especially – all sports, not just baseball.”
Cubs will trade him following next season.
Lmfao
And idiot comment of the day goes to….
Banesays.
Why? lol first of all (assuming his production continues) $16.5m is a steal for a hitter of his caliber. So at worst case scenario for the Cubs they’ve still got him under control for another season at that point for just $16.5 — second… he seems to be Making it pretty clear that he’ll be willing to take a hometown discount to stay in CHI so barring a significant injury or drop in his production I don’t see any reason whatsoever that the Cubs would be even remotely interested in dealing away one of their current franchise icons
Where as he stated he’d be “willing to take a hometown discount to stay in CHI”?
The place Rizzo secretly wants to play in is San Francisco.
No he doesn’t. He likes playing for a team that’s actually good.
The play on the field has nothing to do with where he wants to be. It’s the off field play that would draw him to San Francisco.
Nope. He told me Mars.
Considering Rizzo already signed 1 discounted contract. Where did he say that he would sign another one? Rizzo didn’t say that, and I didn’t read that.
Definitely a homer projecting.
His contract wasn’t a discounted one when he signed it. It has been in retrospect.
I didn’t see the word discount anywhere.
Most players say they
want to “stay.” It doesn’t
imply a discount…..
Once they fail to make it to the World Series once again, Madden will be cut loose. Theo will make another run the following year with a new manager. Once they fail to make the World Series again, Theo will blow things up and rebuild. The cheap contracts most the “stars” have will be coming due and Theo will need cash to buy the arms that will be needed to keep them competitive. Bryant will be the first to go, followed by Schwarber, Contreras, and then Rizzo. Baez and Bote will be the “centerpieces” of the rebuild but they will be stuck with Hayward and his bloated contract. Hayward’s 20 Million a year deal will force them to move Rizzo in order to free up the cash needed to buy high priced pitching.
You’ve got to be another disgruntled White Sox fan.
Yeah this guy obviously isn’t very smart
Bote isn’t the centerpiece of anything.
How can Rizzo and Hayward’s salaries been compared. There should be outrage. Why is is ok not to pay Rizzo fair market value? There should be outrage. Pay the man ! They have a short career and why should Rizzo suffer making below market when Hayward is paid like he is. Is Hayward more valuable to Cubs? Will Hayward have his jersey retired?
Idiot comment of the day AND runner up. I bet you’re going for the trifecta soon…
Must have touched a nerve with some Scrub fans. It’s funny how over the past few seasons the Scrubs and their fans have gone from being viewed as lovable losers to just plain losers.
no, you didn’t touch a nerve, you just made it painfully easy to mock you by saying something fantastically stupid and then not even attempting to justify it with anything resembling reason. Something that pretty much every adult should know by now never ends well on the internet.
to use a baseball analogy, if you lob one right down the middle, you can’t be shocked that somebody takes a swing at it.
and congratulations, you nailed the trifecta perfectly.
First of all, it’s HEYWARD. If you are going to talk trash at least spell correctly
I am Suprised that there isn’t outrage that Rizzo is currently being paid under 7 mil per year in his contract. Where are the people in the streets saying pay the man.
(Insert Spongebob rètard gif here)
Rizzo will be a Cub until he retires. No doubt!
Maybe. The number 44 will be retired by the Cubs.
Obviously I know hind sight is 20/20 so it’s unfair to judge trades like this after knowing all of the info of how things worked out. BUT with the benefit of hindsight — this is possibly one of the worst trades in the past decade+ for the Red Sox (not to mention how terrible of a deal it was for the Padres trading him to CHC but for this comment… I’m focusing on the Sox portion). — Rizzo is EXACTLY the position/hitter the Red Sox had/have needed/been missing from their roster for some time. A little less so since the arrival of JD Martinez to Boston but the season prior (after Ortiz retired) they desperately needed “a Rizzo” and they gave him up for a pretty unsuccessful couple of seasons for Adrian Gonzalez. Not to mention how incredible team friendly Rizzo’s contract has been — it quite possibly could have prevented the Sox from making some of their worst FA signings out of desperation had Rizzo been around (ie Sandoval and Ramirez – though Hanley did have his moments in Boston) On top of that – at the time the Sox also gave up prized pitching prospect Casey Kelly (who really turned into a dud but still – had they not made this move who knows what they could have used Kelly for instead)
Again like I said it’s not fair to judge trades like this with the benefit of hindsight being what it is BUT putting that aside had the Sox kept Rizzo I think things could have been significantly different/better for them the past 7/8 years now — especially from a payroll perspective. But of course the Sox have won WS since the trade (as have the Cubs) so all in all I suppose it’s all worked itself out. I just think given his amazing value relative to salary — it opens so many ‘what ifs’ for the Sox that all essentially lead to them not having to make bad signings out of desperation and having that middle of the order bat they needed a couple of times over the past few years. And really of all the prospects the Sox have traded over the years — Rizzo probably sticks out the most as the one who “got away” (though Moncada could achieve that distinction if he continues to flourish as well — though in that case the deal really worked out for both sides — Sale)
Rizzo was traded in 2010 by the Sox so they’ve won 2 WS since then, 2013 and 2018. Yea Sox could ofnused him but 2 championships in that time frame isn’t bad.
This is exactly when you are supposed to judge trades, years later. It’s hard to judge them when they are first made because it was a prospect for an aging star. Rizzo helped the cubs get a world series ring. Hes provided stability at 1b. He is a cub hero. Gonzales didnt do much for the red sox. He was traded in a mega deal to cut costs. Sure the red sox won two titles, but did Gonzales help in either of those?
Don’t forget about the trade that brought Arrieta and Strop to Chicago. While we’re at it Dempster to the Rangers for Hendricks has worked out pretty well too.
Adrian Gonzalez put up a .321/.382/.513/.895 slash with a 139 OPS+ and averaged over 5 rWAR per season while with the Red Sox. He also finished top 7 in MVP, was an All Star, and won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in his only full season in Boston. How could that possibly be considered pretty unsuccessful? The issue wasn’t Boston trading Rizzo for Gonzalez, but that they then couldn’t keep Gonzalez and had to include him in the Dodgers trade to get out from under the Beckett and Crawford deals. Gonzalez gave the Sox exactly what they wanted and expected at the time.
Rizzo over Bryant
I don’t think there’s much of a chance of Bryant being extended.
Maybe if they ripped up the current contract for Rizzo and offered the Goldschmidt contract terms starting in 2020. Would that get it done?
Bryant will stay too. As will Baez.
Yes. Going to have to sign a couple pitchers too. They’re going to be rocking a $400M payroll in no time.
@ElMagoN9ne lotto numbers please
Everyone keeps forgetting about Marquee coming in October. $400MM payroll won’t matter
Rizzo is the heart and soul of the Cubs. He’s not going anywhere.
Dumpster divin’ Theo!
?
Jedi mind trick.
You hate to deal in absolutes, especially in baseball, but any extension between Rizzo and the Cubs will certainly pan out better than that idiotic Goldschmidt pact
Yah, definitely not too soon to call that signing a disaster. *sarcasm*
It all hinges for him, and really that entire team, on what transpires in this postseason. A second world title, the team will stay. Anything short of that, pieces will be moved. And Rizzo certainly would not be exempt.
Let someone else pay KB. Slide Baez over to third. And for the love of God… extend Rizzo and make him a (basically) life long Cub. He will be a great future ambassador next to Ryno.
Although his offensive production is steadily declining, he’s still a top 10 first baseman. He’ll be on the wrong side of 30 when they renew him, so I see 5/80 as being reasonable. He deserves to retire as a cub.
That’s what Reinsdorf would offer him.
What would you offer him?
I’d have to see comps and get an idea of what he’s seeking.
5 yr/$100MM from 2020-2024 as an opening offer.
$20MM per for an aging 1B? Yeah, not happening. I’m sure you’re a great “mom,” but you’d be a terrible GM.
If you hate it that bad it must be a good idea…
No team in the league would offer Rizzo $20MM per. I’m sure Epstein priorities start with Baez, who should get Harper money.
i’m a little in awe at how much effort you spend at being so obviously wrong on a daily basis. It takes real dedication to be that militantly stupid for so long…
And you should know exact dedication of which you speak seeing as you have been doing the same thing your entire life.
Perhaps you can add some actual facts to a discussion rather than take cheap shots at people. Or maybe your so stupid you can even come up with a fact to offer.
Or maybe your just too scared to offer an actual opinion. Too scared to take a stand and back it up with facts in fear that the whole world will see your nothing more than a fake keyboard tuff guy who doesn’t know the first thing about the topic that he tries so hard to pass himself off as some kind of expert. The same kind of person that would never utter these same words in person because you are too afraid to have an actual face to face confrontation with someone.
Go ahead. Offer up some facts. Take a stand on a baseball related opinion. Offer something constructive to a conversation. You and I both know you won’t, because you can’t. If you tried the whole world would see just how stupid you really are. And by the way, posting some other insult in reply will show the world the same thing. You have nothing constructive to offer and lack the ability to engage in an actual exchange of thoughts and ideas. In other worlds, carry on an adult conversation without juvenile attacks designed to make you feel better about your shortcomings. And I think we all know what those are.
Steadily declining as in very consistent? Didn’t realize those phrases were synonymous.
LOL even when you’re not trolling you sound like an idiot!
rizzo’s AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+ and wRC+ are better than each of the last 2 years and are better than his career averages. there’s even a slight improvement in K% which was already strong. not to mention his already GG caliber defense has been better this year than last, setting him up for his second consecutive GG award and third overall.
but yeah… he’s “steadily declining”
no wonder you’re a whitesox fan
Some of the commentary in provides absolute proof that Cub fans may well be the least knowledgable fans in baseball. Some real whoppers in here. Wow.
Cubs fans knowledge ranks just above Cards fans.
Possibly.
White Sox fans are much improved over Cubs fans, but its a shame the venue the White Sox play in. A real dud.
It’s also laughable for White Sox fans to watch Willie Jay bat cleanup with Luis Robert sitting in AAA.
Sox fans are interested in what the Cubs are doing than their own team. Time to move them to Portland or San Antonio.
the dumb comments aren’t coming from cubs fans
Maybe YOU should go back re-read some of these gems, Einstein.
Baseball much??
i did, tough guy. you’re just a loser troll anyway like the whitesox fans in here.
After you climbed in it was all uphill, honestly
*chimed
Darn autocorrect
That’s quality trolling when you have to go back and correct your own errors. It really puts a damper on your “hot take.” Way to go putrid000.
trying to make sure you get your point across is not trolling, but i doubt you thought it through that far since having a point is probably not something you’ve ever aspired to, judging by your lazy attempt at an insult there
The Goldschmidt contract is NOT one the Cubs should copy. Players going deep into their 30’s, and getting huge money, is a recipe for disaster.
He is a good player and a good guy. I’m glad he’s a Cub.
A Goldschmidt contract at 31-32 years old would be a mistake. 4 years & $80-85M. That would make him 35-36 at the end of the deal.
Cubs have leverage with Rizzo. Free Agency is fairly daunting for players entering their Age 32 season. I’d bet a 4-5 Yr extension in the $20M range gets a deal done this offseason.
Bryant is going to wait to test FA unless Cubs offer a deal in the $250M+ range. The deal Boras lands Anthony Rendon this offseason will be the Bryant baseline. Don’t see Bryant in Cubs uniform beyond 2021.
Baez also FA eligible after 2021 entering his Age 29 season. Cubs have their hands full addressing the contracts of their highly talented underachieving core.
He will be a Cub for life and never get another World Series ring.
The Cubs’ new tv deal could solve all of these issues. I’d like to see a Baez-Lindor middle infield!
$20MM annually would be an overpay for Rizz. He’ll most likely hit about 25 HRs and provide above average defense for at least four more years. That said, his position is the easiest to play, since it requires the least amount of athleticism. That, along with his age, reduces his value. Realistically, $12MM over four years what he should get. However, Rizzo’s value to the teams goes well beyond statistics. I’m sure they’ll reward him with a slightly bigger contract, say $16MM annually over four or five years. At 35, his contract expires and he can join the front office or prolong his career as a DH.
$20M AAV is about right based on the assumption he can provide at least 2.5 fWAR annually, which is not out of the question for such a consistently good and well-rounded player.
$12m is a whitesox low-ball type of offer and the cubs have more respect for the man than to offer that.
Can you read? And what do the Sox have to do with Rizzo? The cubs lowball EVERYBODY except for Heyward, which was a dumb signing. The Sox offered a $300MM contract this offseason. Was that “lowball” to? Why do the cubs have so many morons for fans?
Upvote!
you’re really dumb LOL
Need ointment for all the burns?
Not sure you get to suggest $12MM/year for Rizzo is a fair offer and then call other people morons.
The Sox didn’t offer anyone a $300MM contract. They offered Machado $175MM and, as they usually do, fell ridiculously short. Nothing is ever going to change on the South Side until the old man dies… much like the Blackhawks.
Pick up the options plus 5 years at 100m. Plus 5% ownership of the cubs because he’s the captain we deserve.
When I think of Anthony Rizzo, I remember him as a base runner who injured two catchers (Padres, Pirates) with illegal slides. Charitable? Yes, I’d agree. But “one of the best people in baseball”? Um, no.
there was only one illegal slide which occurred vs PIT… and the catcher didn’t get hurt. at least get your facts right.
go ahead and judge a guy based on one bad play in his 9 year career, nobody cares what you think anyway.
Rizzo’s June 2017 slide into the Padres’ Austin Hedges was deemed illegal by MLB, according to Ken Rosenthal’s reporting. I trust his reporting. The slide in May 2018 was a 2nd offense. Rizzo and Maddon insisted both weren’t dirty plays. Thank you for allowing me to form my own opinion of Rizzo considering these plays and his follow-up. Home plate collisions are serious. I don’t view him as one of the best people in baseball.
Nobody cares how you view him.
One ‘illegal’ slide is probably on the low side for the average major league player with as much experience as him
But I’m sure you don’t really do that whole ‘perspective’ thing, it ruins a good hot take
thanks, couldn’t find it earlier.
you’re still lying though, neither catcher was injured. hedges sat out the next night but was right back out there… and just a few years ago, those slides were perfectly legal. neither slide was serious enough for the league to hand down a punishment either.
you’re welcome to form your own opinion, just don’t lie to get people to agree with you. it’s dishonest and classless, but i realize people like you have zero integrity.
Never let fact get in your way, loser.
“One ‘illegal’ slide is probably on the low side for the average major league player with as much experience as him”
This is true but Rizzo has two illegal slides. Possibly more than I am unaware of.
The slide into Hedges was illegal funny guy. The commissioner’s office literally called Rizzo the next day and told him he had violated the Posey Rule.
and then did nothing else, so clearly even they didn’t honestly care that much because they’ve still given him multiple awards for his off-the-field charity work
i would still bet 2 ‘illegal slides’ that were so minor as to not even warrant fines is still on the low side for most major leaguers.
Anybody who has to sink to this level of pettiness to invent reasons not to like a guy who’s raised millions of dollars to help children stricken with cancer needs to just not speak in public. they have nothing to offer.
They did nothing else because until the thing with Jake Marisnick and Jonathan Lucroy the Posey Rule only governed whether or not the runner was out. Rizzo was already called out on the play so they couldn’t do anything else to him. But the person I was most upset with was honestly Andy Green for not ordering his pitchers to plunk the guy every time he came up after that.
I’m not being petty. I’m dismissing your claim that Rizzo’s slide into Hedges was legal.
Oh, so you’re one of those people who still think beanball wars actually achieve anything.
There goes any credibility you will ever have on the topic of baseball…
Didn’t Rizzo win the Clemente Award?
It would achieve demonstrating to Rizzo that he can’t bully the Padres.
If the Cubs offer any sort of long term deal to Rizzo, it will including voiding those two $16.5M options and settling around $22M /yr for 4 years, which is the equivalent of $28M for the last two years of the deal (factoring in the option amounts forfeited by the Cubs). It would NOT be a smart move to sign Rizzo at age 32 to a long term contract; age is a true factor so as much as he’s meant to Chicago, they need to be smart about this. They can’t have the next Pujols issue just because Rizzo has meant so much to the team. It’s a cutthroat business!
Anthony Rizzo is the dirtiest player in MLB
if you’re going to be this lazy with your trolling can we just skip right to the point where someone calls you a moron and save about 10 posts of you making yourself look even worse?
because i’ll happy point out you’re a moron for not even putting effort into your trolling.
It’s the truth. You’re the troll here.
Actually it’s already been pointed out there’s only any evidence of 1 violation of the ‘posey rule’ and the other one was made up
So no, it’s not true, it’s still bad trolling on your part
Go away and let the adults talk about baseball
The commissioner’s office literally said that Rizzo violated the Posey Rule with the Hedges slide. I’m not sure what they said about the one against the Pirates but from the eye test that looked just as bad and you yourself said it was illegal so that’s enough evidence for me.
Refuting you with the facts isn’t “trolling.” Go have mommy change your stinky diaper and go back to watching Teletubbies.
Facts are a foreign concept to petrie000. He doesn’t have any that he can use to support anything that comes out of his mouth. Either that or he lacks the general intelligence needed to understand what a fact actually is.