In a move that will shock no one, the Cubs have exercised Anthony Rizzo’s team option for the 2020 season, as ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports. Valued at $16.5MM, it was a no-brainer for the Cubs to keep their franchise cornerstone at a relatively team-friendly price.
When Rizzo inked his seven-year contract extension in 2013, the 2020 and 2021 options were valued at $14.5MM, though Jordan Bastian of MLB.com explains that a pair of top-five MVP finishes in 2015 and 2016 caused that number to escalate to the $16.5MM mark that Rogers cited.
Since joining the Cubs in 2012, Rizzo has grown into the face of the Cubs of the 2010s, embodying the franchise’s recent run of success and 2016 World Series title. He’s been a paragon of consistency and durability; his 146 games played in 2019 marked his fewest appearances in a season since 2014.
Over the last six seasons, Rizzo has made three All-Star teams and earned two Gold Gloves (he’s a finalist again this year) while posting a cumulative OPS of .901. His on-base skills have made him a stalwart in the heart of the Cubs’ lineup—since 2014, his .388 OBP ranks sixth in baseball among players with at least 2000 plate appearances.
And he’s not going anywhere. Barring a catastrophic fall from grace, Rizzo, one of the finest first baseman in the game, should once again be well worth the $16.5MM option for 2021, his age-31 season. That puts him on track to realistically hit the open market ahead of the 2022 season, when he would be 32.
Rizzo and the Cubs will likely explore an extension moving forward. Rizzo and Baez are the two most likely candidates the Cubs front office will extend beyond their current contracts.
Rizzo will be to the Cubs as Gordon is to the Royals. The face that sticks around and reminds the fan base that a championship caliber team was in the city not long ago. So keep the faith.
I expect him to get an extension at the end of this deal too but probably more of a sweetheart deal then a big bucks deal. Hopefully, by that time, the DH will be in the NL so he won’t impede the next championship window from blossoming.
Not sure why you think he will needto be moved to DH anytime soon. He is a gold glove defender, and a finalist yet again. Plus, being an on-base guy more than huge power guy should help him into his mid 30s. He will hopefully take a team friendly deal but don’t talk about him like he’s alreafy getting washed up.
People assume that an aging 1B has to move to DH for some reason. Definitely not the case, he has a lot of years until he reaches that point.
I’m not so sure about the team friendly deal, he already did that once. He is only going to get one more chance (most likely) to cash in
I think the article was saying his extension is team friendly
You’re not wrong on a team friendly extension in comparison to his previous deal, but that was also given to him before he turned into one of the top 1st basemen yearly in the bigs. I don’t think management would be stupid enough to insult him with a lowball offer given his importance in the clubhouse and on the field. He also seems like a pretty smart guy who loves Chicago who understands what strapping the club could do with big contracts. Heck his best friend may get traded for that very reason. Time will tell.
Maybe the back problems that cost him time the last two seasons?
Jesus he plays first base. He will not have to worry about DH’ing
Just like Pujols, Cabrera, and Frank Thomas. To name a few guys who didn’t need to move to DH.
People forget, now that PEDs have been cleaned out, hitters pretty much fall off the cliff after 33, especially if you keep wearing them down out in the field.
What makes Rizzo so special? Did he discover a new way to deploy the Vince McMahhon vitamin plan without getting caught?
PEDs have been cleaned out? Didn’t something like 5 guys get caught this year? You think they were doing it because it was high risk? No. they were doing it because it’s low risk. Dozens and dozens, maybe upwards of a hundred, are doing it and a few get caught each year. To some, it’s worth the low risk. It’s not cleaned out. It’s simply left the radar. And some fans are just gullible enough to believe it.
Rizzo is the type of player that every team needs. Very rare breed. Plays the game right says the right things. He’s great on and off the field.
Rizzo
Bregman/Altuve
Ryan Zimmerman
Those are just a rare breed of player that plays the game right.
Give Rizzo an extension
Give Baez an extension
Give Contreas an extension
Wow what a mistake and the Cubbies will forever regret this move which will now hamstring the club moving forward…
Tongue firmly in cheek before I get skewered in responses.
The point I’m trying to make: the Cubs need to decide who will be the face of the franchise to carry them through a rebuild.
This current core is not going to win another title. Many of the pieces are still very valuable. Keeping Rizzo is a no-brainer but extending him after this deal will be a tough choice because he’s bound to fall off big time, sooner than most believe.
i bet the red sox are regretting trading rizzo
Padres too
Big time then they wouldnt have had to trade for will myers or sign hosmer.
Agreed. Rizzo in place avoids 2 bad, big money deal on the books while providing better production.
And the Padres, all things remaining the same, have Trea Turner on the roster.
Padres move takes the sting out as a Sox fan, Also, the clean slate (Dodgers’ trade) was a major factor in the 2013 win. Not sure it happens if he’s at first instead of “Party at Napoli’s”.
when the deal was made it looked like Boston was setup at 1b for the next half dozen seasons. Gonzalez wanted to go to Boston and the Sox had long wanted him. FO didn’t find out until he got there that he couldn’t take the pressure and media scrutiny involved. Then he was known for few outbursts during the late 2011 season collapse.
Lol could take the pressure? You’re delusional, .895 OPS and .321 BA says otherwise.
Somebody doesn’t read many Boston articles, or didn’t then. gonzalez was a clubhouse lawyer in Boston and a snippy one to boot. The deal involving him to LA wasn’t just to offload the terrible Crawford and becket deals, but his new found attitude.
It was a shame. I also wanted Gonzalez for years prior and thought he’d be a superstar for years at fenway with his power to all fields, but his issues were seen as a negative and can’t blame them for taking advantage of the opportunity to get rid of a clubhouse cancer, along with 2 terrible contracts at the same time
He hurt his shoulder which notoriously saps power for an extended period of time and he still hit reasonably well. Crawford was the one who couldn’t handle the Red Sox environment and Bobby Valentine was the straw that broke the camel’s back for that squad.
Fact…
I’m sure Crawford being subjected to racial slurs from the Fenway faithful didn’t help, either.
Because Carl did much better out in California? Let’s put that crap to bed now. Crawford got paid big and didn’t perform a day after that. That’s the risk you face giving anyone a mega deal.
He sprung up a NEW attitude problem…one he never had before… in Boston..at the age of 29?
Mr JohnSilver, I doubt everyone in every state is just scanning through Boston Sports tabloids. Adrian Gonzalez was a big player at the time so it seems a little peculiar that this didnt get out beyond Boston area Sports. It seems peculiar that this issue only sprung up in Boston because he couldn’t handle all the attention and scrutiny even though he did just fine with the Dodgers.
Post a link for proof because otherwise your argument just doesnt sound legitemate.
I still say Valentine mostly did what ownership wanted.
John can defend himself but see below:
bosoxinjection.com/2017/10/30/red-sox-former-first…
I just grabbed the first one that seemed appropriate. Many others to look through if you’re interested.
I forgot all about Gonzalez in Boston for some reason. I think he’s been a little off everywhere he’s gone though
Seeing the Red Sox got Adrian Gonzalez and won the world series not so much but the Padres let him go for Cashmere…Yikes
You know what they say about hindsight
Once you get past the view you got it licked?
They did get Adrian Gonzalez, but they didn’t win the WS with him. By the time the Red Sox won the WS again in 2013, he was in LA.
No brainer….. Now what?
The one trade I can see happening is
Bryant – Dustin May and a couple of young guys
Dodgers are craving a ring but Rendon is not the type of guy the front office likes to give long offers to.
(They’ve already talked about moving Turner elsewhere so third base is open as well)
They’d like Bryant as a two year rental and the Cubs would love to have some potential top of the rotation talent.
I’m not sure the Cubs are interested in improving the Dodgers lineup. I could see this trade happening during a re-build, but not when they still have their sights set on winning pennants.
The Cubs window is officially closed. They should start selling now and Bryant is the most likely candidate for a trade. Improving the Dodgers is not the issue.
Lol
Pack it up everyone, Ejemp2006 has officially closed the cubs window
lol.
It’s not closed by any means but it’s not likely they have what it takes to be a series winner. All the things Theo and Tom said and the Ross hiring means a retool. They will sell off parts at the right price but will not do a complete rebuild.
I just don’t see a retool being realistic for that team. Their farm absolutely blows. I don’t know what they think is going to come up to help this “retool.” It’s pretty much going to have to be guys that aren’t in the org now coming in.
Their window isn’t what it once was but they have surpluses at the MLB level that make a retooling quite possible. The Cubs have options they just won’t be easy decisions.
They are probably gonna have to trade from the core,
Bryant / Schwarber / Baez / Contreras.
Anyone who’s not likely to return will need to be considered.
Their Windows still ‘open’ but their version is Windows Vista.
Its still wide open
Bryant is going to end up somewhere else so might as well get the most value right now when the cubs say they are going after a real change. Dodgers are going to deal from a depth position. Start with lux and stripling since the cubs love swingmen
Gavin Lux or Alex Verdugo + a decent young starting pitcher seems like a plan.
Mr. Underpaid.
I know teams rarely do this but put a C on this man’s jersey. Like seriously, make him the captain of the team.
Say adios to Bryant, defensively overrated, hurt like a weak puppy, and saved by Rizzo’s glove.
I’m not sure what you mean by “defensively overrated”.. Nobody has ever rated his defense super high.
Should’ve made this bum walk.
I hope for your sake that you’re making a bad joke
Damn fine player…I’m a Reds fan, but appreciate all he does for the Cubs…
When you combine contributions on both sides of the ball with his salary, I think any team would be thrilled to have him.
Bryant is now a DH
NL will never have a DH
I can’t decide if half the people posting here are trolls or idiots…
Little bit of both
Bryant’s severe back problems are a cause for concern. He’s gone from a 35-40 HR threat to a 25 HR guy the last two seasons.
Yeah he hit 31 last year. Which is 1 of two big league seasons he’s hit over 30. Let’s at least keep your clearly biased cubs hating agenda accurate.
He hit 27 last year, and 25 the year before that.
He didn’t hit 27 last year because he spent most of the year on the IL. He hit 13 last year and 29 the year before that.
Well it’s now obvious he’s talking about rizzo. Who has never even hit 35 hrs. Let alone 40. Rizzo hit 27 Hrs last year and posted the second Highest OPS of his career. So yeah nothing but nonsense Cubs hate here.
Aw @$&%. lol Yeah, meant Rizzo, sorry.
Record year for HRs, and he only hit 27? Rizzo hit 32 HRs in 2017, so it stands to reason he could gave hit 35-40 HRs had he been healthy. The back injury is the reason, and back injuries never heal, so there you go. Expect him to miss more time next year, and the year after that. If he gets surgery, his career is over.
Alright well if you’ve ever watched Anthony Rizzo play baseball. You’d know he’s not swinging for the fences when he has two strikes. He’s a master at choking up and putting the ball in play. You’re trying to say things to help an argument that has clear bias. Rizzo’s career high in Hrs is 32. He’s done that once. Just because it helps your argument that he almost He hit 27 last season and posted an OPS above .900. You’re trying to isolate one thing and make a huge deal about it. It’s just not there.
Well that post got messed up but there’s not much to read Into a slight HR drop for a guy who just posted another .900 OPS. season. He’s doing just fine.
So you’re just sticking your head in the sand and ignoring Rizzo’s back problems. Typical cubs fan I guess. I like Rizzo, but if I were the cubs, I wouldn’t sign him to any longterm contract without restrictions and options. His back will only get worse with time, which means less HRs and more time on the IL.
And won unanimous MVP in 2016
Lol. He posted a 141 WRC+ which is 41% better than the league average. Also 7% better than the year he hit 32 HRs. You’re making a big deal about 5 homeruns when he’s been equally as productive as he ever has been. You tried to call him a 35-40 hr hitter; that was never true. As long as he’s hitting 30-40% better than the league average I don’t think anyone cares about a slight HR dip. You’re blowing a problem out of proportion that hasn’t evolved into anything yet. If the back is a long term concern it hasn’t materialized into any issues yet.
The game isn’t a HR or an out. Rizzo is producing very well. Much better than Jose Abreu who hit 33 hrs. I don’t root for either team. But to base tour argument for a guy declining on 5 homeruns is ludicrous. Especially when everything else is just as good if not better than before.
I think you meant Rizzo has back problems, enough to cost him some playing time each of the last two seasons. A back problem for a first baseman is a cause for some concern going forward. The violence of the swings and misses when he drops to his back knee probably don’t help. Unlike wine and cheese, back problems for athletes usually do not improve with age. Even with all that, picking up the option was a no-brainer because he was productive offensively – 3.9 WAR, 137 OPS – and defensively. Some regression over the remaining term of his contract will have an obvious effect when he may be able to hit the market at age 32.
Precisely, sorry for the miscommunication.
You are correct Moe. I do believe the Cubs will extend Rizzo before he hits the market. He is truly the face of the franchise and unnamed captain of the team.
He was also hit in the face by a 97mlh fastball. that you could hear from the upper deck at Coors field in right field
Easy decision