TODAY: Cubs GM Jed Hoyer discussed the situation with David Kaplan on Sports Talk Live (NBC Sports Chicago’s Tony Andracki has a partial transcript) today, saying that the two sides held “some conceptual talks about what an extension would look like and I think that, candidly, we were pretty far apart in terms of length and so he [Pollack] decided to come out and say that.” Hoyer also noted these negotiations were in the very early stages, and that “there’s nothing that’s been done that’s going to stop future conversations.”
YESTERDAY: The Cubs have decided against pursuing an extension with first baseman Anthony Rizzo this offseason, agent Marc Pollack tells Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. Whether future contract talks will take place is an open question.
Rizzo is entering his second-to-last season of team control under his original extension. That deal has worked out swimmingly for the Chicago organization, which is paying Rizzo $14.5MM this season with another option remaining at the same price (with a $2MM buyout as the alternative).
It seems that Rizzo instructed his rep to broach the possibility of another contract that would keep him locked in at first base for many more years to come. That interest was rebuffed.
“Anthony has let his desire to be a Cub for life known to the organization,” says Pollack. “Although we do not know what the future holds, a deal to make that happen will not be addressed now.”
The 30-year-old Rizzo evidently isn’t seen as a desirable target despite another exceptional campaign at the plate. He slashed a robust .293/.405/.520 with 27 home runs in 2019 and has steadily produced big numbers since a breakout 2014 effort.
The Chicago organization is in an interesting position after carrying a big payroll for several seasons and wrapping up a costlier-than-expected Wrigley Field renovation project. While many would argue that further outlay is warranted, the club has again given signals that it will keep a tight hold on the purse this winter.
That said, the Cubs have expressed interest in pursuing some long-term deals. Rogers says that Kyle Schwarber also hasn’t yet been approached. Kris Bryant is all but certainly a non-starter. Whether Willson Contreras could be pursued isn’t known, but the team has discussed him in trade scenarios. It seems infielder Javier Baez is the likeliest candidate to be locked up at some point in the offseason.
ooof
All good, Rizzo is only just the face of the franchise.
It’s not like anyone would complain if they put a “C” on his jersey and made him the captain of the team.
There’s already a C on his jersey.
lol this made me laugh
He has given them a team discount for years, he is way under paid.
Respect Anthony!
No loyalty by Cubs ownership like there is on the South Side!
I thought they banned you.
But really! If Abreu gets $50 million, Rizzo is worth twice as much.
Perhaps, but he won’t get it from your money hungry organization as they pocket their profits.
I took a break from this site to resist taking shots at the Cubs during their demise.
Cubs fell as I predicted.
To comment on their choke performance would have been like shooting fish in a barrel.
Is it mainly teenage Sox Fans that insist on focusing of the Cubs and not the positives of their favorite team. Sox were very loyal to their recently released gold-glove infielder..right?
does it make you upset that the white sox are bad and cant attract any sort of free agent other than manny machado’s cousin?
It’s a weird world we live in where a Sox fan is taking shots at the Cubs, when the Cubs have been something the Sox haven’t for a long time – relevant.
You’re gonna eat your words when the white Sox win 65 games on average for the next 5 years while they rebuild
Yes, loyalty. Let’s put up more statues of players who didn’t bring any championships to the south side. When are the Ron Karkovice, Greg Walker & Scott Radinsky unveiled?
I am pretty sure Paul Konerko brought a championship!
They have all of next year to work on an extension. Why jump the gun with anyone. Look what Cardinals did to themselves with Carpenter. A big story about nothing. If Rizzo plays well the next two years there is no doubt he will get offered a 4-5 year extension.
I hear on the radio that Rizzo has a bad back. Cubs likely to wait and see how it holds out over next year before paying him.
Crede’s career ended prematurely because of his back issues.
I agree with the Cubs purely from a financial perspective. Why extend a player in a position that is in flux or trending down (1st Base only players).
I have no problem with this whatsoever. He’s my wife’s and daughter’s favorite player and he’s had a million great moments and is a fantastic guy with charity (my daughter had leukemia and was treated at Lurie’s Children’s Hospital where he is an incredible presence.) My daughter beat it and is in 1st grade and is totally over it. Kicked its you know what.
But even all that said he isn’t necessarily the smartest guy to extend at this point in his career. I hope they find a way after 2021 at a not out of this world AAV. They sort of owe him since he was so team friendly the last half decade. But it really doesn’t make baseball sense.
In other words not extending him now is 100% the right move. Wouldn’t make baseball sense. I’m actually fine with KB going too for what he and Boras would want it wouldn’t be worth it.
Javy is the guy to extend first no doubt. Contreras next if they don’t trade him.
I’ll forever love Rizzo but at this point he shouldn’t be a priority.
Exactly! And good for your daughter too!
NCAA. You list a million reasons why he should stay. Yer you want to throw him away like trash. I hope your friends and family are aware of this.
Huh?!? Is this really Vin Scully?
Of course he is!
Vin, he did not say that he wanted to throw Rizzo away.
I’m just saying he’s not the key to them getting to another World Series. Right now obviously they’re trying to decide who must stay, who can wait, who to trade, who doesn’t matter. Right this very second Rizzo falls under the who can wait.
In two years if he is still at his almost to a T every year .300, 30, 100, .900, etc then make an offer. But in case he does start slipping from that you ca decide how to handle it.
If they were to extend him now they’d have to pay him as if he was going to be that guy. That’s the only way it would be accepted by Rizzo and his Agent.
Right now it just isn’t a priority.
Ball players have memories, too. A couple more excellent seasons after being rebuffed for an extension by the Cubs, and Rizzo might decide to take his bat on to the free agent market. Your advice flies in the face of the continuing trend of signing veteran players to extensions or, with younger players, to extensions early in their career, just as they did with Rizzo several years ago. Teams benefit from the resulting payroll certainty. Extend him now or risk losing him in a year or two, and then worry about how much it will cost to replace him, if, that is there’s even a comparable available player at that time.
Great story about your daughter, but, I disagree that this is “100 percent”the right move. Depending on the extension, they could,listen and negotiate. The big reason I say this is the Cubs aren’t looking like loyal nice guys after the Bryant fiasco. And while it may seem like good buisiness sense now, I imagine from a free agent perspective, in the foreseeable future, the Cubs are not doing themselves any favors. A team that manipulates the system to underpay top prospects, puts all their stars on the trade block, and refuses to negotiate extensions with underpaid team leaders and fan favorites wouldn’t seem like a place to play, especially if the team is asking for a discounted rate….So from a business perspective, I feel as though these recent actions are going to cost them in future free agent contracts.
I see a lot of fans using the word manipulate in posts. As used in posts describing players and service time, manipulate means to deceive. The teams are not deceiving young players with the service time rule. Please find a more accurate word.
Manipulate definition, to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner:….I would say manipulate is used perfectly in Bryant’s and the Cubs situation..
Corey- this from Webster Dictionary. Manipulate definition- 1: to treat or operate manually or mechanically esp. with skill. 2: to manage or use skillfully. 3: to influence esp. with intent to deceive. There is zero deception here. And it says nothing about an unfair manner, That must be your false definition. The word manipulate is being used incorrectly in reference to Bryant and service time. It is a rule and not a loophole. It may be an unfair practice to you and other fans but it is not deception.
All true, he reminds me of Pedroia and his contract with the Sox, if you give him 5/125 he is worth now you will be hurt on the back end.
Not sure he’s really trending down. His 141 wRC+ was 141 last year, his highest mark there since 2016.
Not the hitter in ’18-’19 as he was in ’16-’17. Everyone loves Rizzo but ncaa has a point.
Expensive extensions not necessary. If you remember Theo said eight years ago that wave after wave of talented prospects will keep the team in contention for years to come.
Rzzo’s XBH’s have taken a dive and so have the walks. A .405 on base last year is strong and percentages are great but only if you play in all the games. Rizzo misses quite a few games last two seasons.
Yah, he was wrong. That wave has dried up.
Can’t increase that AAV, tisk tisk.
The AAV is 16.5 MM right now. It’s not the less than 10 MM it was last year. Actually, his salary his 16.5 million because it escalated due to MVP voting.
I think they could tear up the current contract and go 5 years, $100 MM. That would be fair and I think Anthony should be able to produce thru 2024.
They don’t want a $20M cap hit.
It looks that way. I was thinking they could extend Baez for 7years, $150MM, but that may be light the way salaries are increasing again.
I’d imagine you are right about that being light. Salaries appear to be going up to ridiculous levels again.
IF they could even get him to agree to a 20M avg. No way. I’m guessing his agent is looking for 25M over 5-7 years.
I think reading between the lines they are willing to extend one player now and potentially one player next year. If they extend him right now they are setting themselves up for luxury tax issues again next year. They want to avoid all the crap that comes with two years of luxury taxes.
Rizzo is 30 and 100 pretty much every year.
Rock solid defensively. Probably the guy you want at the plate with the game on the line. Great ambassador for the Cubs. Does everything the right way. This is the one guy I could see as a Cub for the rest of his career. And he wants to be.
Cubfor, I agree totally with what you say. However I don’t think now, is the best time to negotiate a new contract with Rizzo. I hope he is a Cub forever. But with him now 30 and some health concerns and still 2 years on his current contract- I also would prefer to wait at least another year.
There also is the prospect of the DH coming to the NL, which could help Anthony’s position.
I didn’t say as much in my post and I should have. I agree with not extending him now and waiting, but in the end, through a series of maybe 3 year at a time extensions, I hope that he ends up a Cub his entire career. As long as he continues to be productive.offensively.
As a Brewer fan, Rizzo is the most feared hitter in the lineup. I would walk Rizzo every time to face Baez. Rizzo has had some clutch hits in his tenure.
People get so caught up with Baez, that they forget how important Rizzos bat is to the Cubs.
Yeah, probably the most consistent hitter in the lineup, which helps. However, even Rizzo has been prone to a few extended slumps, and has fallen off the last couple seasons vs LHP, which he used to really excel at.
Its probably due to watching far more Cubs games than any other team, but it seems like the Cubs lineup is especially prone to extended slumps that really have sunk the team late the last couple years. Bryant, Schwarber, and even Baez- all streaky hitters.
Don’t forget his Defense.
Trying to save money for big offseason moves. You just don’t know it yet, but it’s a smart move.
Wow, is a new teardown looming…?
Hardly.
Headlines in a couple days: Cubs looking to trade Rizzo
that was last week headline….you must have missed it.
Bullcrap!
so much about future money.
Hey Cubs, do you remember when you screwed over Kris Bryant? Because he does.
Geg42: You mean by leveraging a rule the MLB Union approved to smartly get another year of control?
Brewers did the same thing with Keston Huira. They sent him down for a bit so he wouldnt qualify for the AB limit, then brought him up again, to gain an extra year.
Only difference is Bryant got pissed, Huira didn’t.
Its well within the rules, and theres no chance Bryant wins the case
As far as I’ve heard, he wasn’t pissed. He didn’t even initiate the grievance. It was suggested that he do so by the Union so he did it. I don’t know why he would be either. It was obvious what was going to happen and it happened to plenty of other rookies as well. Take it up with your terrible Union. You can’t set the rules with specific benchmarks and then get mad when the owners work within your parameters to maintain the team’s best interest.
Players association agreed to that rule. No one got “screwed.”
Rizzo is a very good player……..Albert Pujols is a HOF player….but look at Pujols right now…..do we need to tie up Rizzo for a long term contract and get only a slow moving DH !
Rizzo is a Cub……..but not for life…….after seeing this report, Rizzo will be traded sometime after 2020 season.
This seems to me to be more about 2020 luxury tax and what would happen if the Cubs exceeded those limits two years in a row. He might still end up extended.
Print some more money. You can afford it.
They must have some serious debt service that we’re not hearing about.
If the Cubs don’t want to spend more, than not going for an extension (with a higher CBT hit) makes sense. They might end up losing these players, but given they have a captive fan base, and ownership that’s locked in a lot of revenues, profitable losing might seem a lot more attractive to them than less-profitable winning.
“profitable losing might seem a lot more attractive to them than less-profitable winning.” Taking a page from the Twins playbook eh ?
Rizzo will be 31 when he hits FA, still relatively young versus some others on the market. I wouldn’t mind him being a ranger, or better yet, the astros get him once gurriel leaves.
These players want the security of long-term contracts. And then with two or three years remaining they want a new contract. Why should these teams resign these guys early? Makes no business sense.
Yap – agree what is the hurry.
Wasn’t he hurt at the end of last season?
Have to agree. From a team standpoint, there’s no point. You signed a contract. Play out that contract and then we’ll talk when it gets close to the end.
Cubs 2023 Position players
C – Amaya
1B – Caratini
2B – Short
SS – Baez
3B – Bote
Of – Davis – Horner – Wilson
Willson could be gone by then, but you we’ll still have Heyward!
Lol, who?
I really have a hard time seeing Bote as an everyday starter for a winning team.
Looks like Theo is getting the Cubs ready to suck again. I am not looking forward to 4A starting lineup two years from now.
Yes play your $50 for a bleacher seat, drink their $12 beers, and with Moe, Larry, and Curly in the bullpen you should be at happy hour by 3:30
What stadiums are you going to where you can get cheap beers? I want in
You’ll have to head down to Guaranteed Rate Field and enjoy a game with the 6 other people in attendance. A couple of them may jump on the field and assault an opposing player or coach or an umpire. Maybe that ups the entertainment value for you, maybe not.
If you have all 7 White Sox fans at one game, you know it’s a bog deal.
Kind of a non story really. Cubs are looking to extend Baez, Contreras and maybe Schwarber not only for the chance at a slight discount but for cost certainty moving forward. They have cost certainty already with Rizzo.- why screw with the AAV of an extension with a player you know will resign after 2 years anyway? Rizzo will get his deal midway thru the 2021 season and be a cub until he retires. Plus theres the regretable “extended them before they had to ” deals of Miggy and Ryan Howard – I’m sure the cubs want to avoid that type of scenerio
Totally agree well said.
Never mind the luxury tax implications if they extend him now and give him a raise for 2020.
Non story. He has 2 years left and affordable. Doesn’t make sense to extend him now. He will stay a Cub he is the Golden child and wants to be there.
I wish players would stop signing team friendly contracts at a relatively young age it will only screw them in the long run. With the exception of a few players who got over most of the time the player ends up playing for much less than he’s worth. In a couple of years Ronald Acuna will be asking himself why he signed that contract when he would have been making more in arbitration. Mookie Betts is set to make $27.7 million this season and is really the only fair comp to Acuna.
It all depends on your risk averseness. It’s like taking out an insurance policy.
I bet we won’t be seeing a lot of players signing extensions like last spring now that salaries are moving up.
Madison Bumgarner is the perfect example. He made a total of 35 mill in San Francisco! The Giants won 3 championships because of Bumgarner. Bumgarner left a ton of money on the table!!
Cole will make that in one year in New York.
Is that you Scott Boras? Have you been the Mystery Team you’ve leveraged to get more money all along? I can’t believe so many turn down the security of tens of millions of dollars in their twenties when their profession involves someone throwing a rock at high speed near their head a few thousand times a year.
Really getting sick of this team and the owners.. After the cubs lost 40 games scoring 1 or less runs, they did nothing to improve the offense. Instead of going after Harper or Machado, we get Descalso. Wow! The cubs keep complaining about being poor. The didn’t even attempt to sign one of the top 3 free agent pitchers, yet they expect the fans to pay to watch games on TV, when that should be free? Who wants to pay for a team that is not doing anything to improve?
The problem has been the inability to develop even one pitcher of note since Theo joined the Cubs. They have paid a steep price in dollars and prospects due to this failure. I don’t understand blaming the owners. Trading Gleyber Torres for Chapman is one thing because he helped win a championship. But trading Cease and Eloy Jimenez for Quintana is looking pretty bad right now and would have been unnecessary if they could have developed just 1 pitcher in half a decade. Then you have the Heyward contract that hasn’t really panned out. You eventually run out of payroll flexibility.
The problem isn’t ownership or spending. It’s Theo’s MANY free agent blunders and his lack of pitching/player development. I wouldn’t trust him to run a lemonade stand, right now.
I think he got Darvish correct tbh. But Heyward will hurt us for years to come. That one is going to get worse, not better, for years. Chat Wood was actually useful mostly last year but that money hurt the last couple of years. Kimbrell is too early to tell but I’m at least optimistic. But this is what happens when you develop zero pitching. I’m hoping Marquez finally breaks the streak but I’m not really counting on it.
Lol. 300 million apiece for two players of which neither one even made the allstar team. I certainly glad they signed neither.
Weezer, you really need to look into the luxury tax situation, the penalties for going over a second and third year in a row, where the payroll is at, the fact that all of our stars are free agents in a year and a half, and the current contract situation. They literally cannot spend right now. They may even have to move some salary at the deadline to get under the threshold.
Basically they need someone to save them from their Darvish and Heyward deals in order to keep their lifers.
Darvish is only on the Cubs to attract the Japanese market once their tv networks starts up in February. It’s business! The Ricketts paid for the Cubs’ first World Series since 1908 and now it’s time to make money.
Darvish at 4 for 81 is not a terrible deal, not sure why people cannot see that. Especially with what the going rate was this year for SP. Cole was a huge overpay. 30 plus million a year on a pitch that plays 1 time every 5 days?!?!?! It is dumb and for 9 years too!
Heyward deal looks like an overpay., sure, but right now it is 4 years and 96 million. I would rather pay him that then Harper with the 300 million left on the contract.
The smart move is to move Contreras for a SP and 3B prospect and go for it in 2020. SIgn a Ryu or Kuekel and the rotation is solid. Go get some other pieces to platoon the OF with Happ and Almora coming off the bench.
I really think Merrifield is the perfect fit for the Cubs. Trade Contreras and Merrifield Straight up. It makes a lot of sense for both sides.
How on earth is that Darvish deal bad given his performance the last 4 months of last season?
2..76 ERA, 16.08 K/BB, 0.80 WHIP, 13.0 K/9IP. For the season the guy posted a 1..09 WHIP. That’s significantly better than Wheeler’s stats for 2019. And Wheeler is making more money. Never mind Arrieta’s stats last year.
He was a huge stud once he stopped walking guys in June.
That’s 4 months out of 2 years so far… That’s not the norm. If he keeps that up, obviously the deal looks good.
The Darvish deal is not a bad deal if he continues to perform. It’s actually under market value. He is the best pitcher on their staff.
Considering it was 6/126 and Strasburg just got 7/245. He got 120 mil more for one estra year.
I’m sure this is agent driven but c’mon-Only $14.5 per year-He has 2 yrs left on a contract he signed without a gun to his head. I don’t blame Ricketts for not wanting to spend anymore $ after Epstein went nuts on a bunch of garbage.
The Cubs spit in the face of Rizzo. Rizzo is probably already on realtor dot com looking at NY housing prices.
Do the Cubs even have a plan? From the outside looking in, it doesn’t really appear so. That rotation is horrendous and I’m not sure how it gets better.
In addition, they have the massive boat anchor deals to Heyward and Darvish preventing them from doing much of anything. Theo needs to get creative to unload one of those contracts – attach a Nico Hoerner to one of those guys and unload it onto someone else.
As the Cubs stand, they are a 3rd place team in that division and if the Reds make some strong moves, the Cubbies very well could be languishing down in Pirate land.
They have 4 years and 45 million a year attached to Heyward and Darvish.
With how the market is playing out this year, that is not earth shattering. Not ideal, but not out of this world either for 2 guys that have dominated the game at certain points in their careers.
Yeah, I mean Darvish was only one of the best players in all of baseball over the last 4 months of last season and is signed up at what appears to be a bargain relative to what the market is demanding for anything approaching that performance. But do go on.
Heyward is definitely overpaid, but he has improved at the plate with 21 HRs last year and he’s everything you could ask for in Right field. If he continues to improve his batting slightly, he could be almost worth the money.
Darvish on the other hand is looking to be a good deal. He was looking like an Ace in the second half of the season. If he even sort of pitches like he did the second half of last season, he’ll be well worth the money.
Guess y’all don’t have a lot of hopes “Lord of the Dance” is going to turn everything around?
In all fairness they have him for 2 more years.. maybe next off-season would be more reasonable to discuss an extension. A lot can happen in 2 years.
Yes. Rizzo is a solid performer and seems to be a good guy as well. BUT … two years of control and nagging back pains that have kept him out of some games the last two years are both reasons not to rush an extension. Let’s see how the back holds up in 2020 and whether some regression sets in before getting stuck with a long term decline.
Agreed that two years out is a bit early, but Rizzo is the kind of guy you show a little good faith to and offer that generous and early extension. Consistent top 5 1st baseman, multiple Gold Gloves, phenomenal clubhouse guy, wants to be a lifer, tons of charitable work in Chicago, etc. That’s the kind of guy you show a little generosity.
Still bothers Theo that people say he’s an average GM and that most would have accomplished what he’s done given the same resources.
he is not average, he will go down as one of the best all time for what he did. Others could do it with the resources?!?!? they didnt for a combined 200 years lol!!!
He’s very average. That doesn’t mean he’s bad….but he’s also not great.
He’s going into the hall of fame someday. He broke two long curses in Beantown and Chitown. I’m telling you, he has made some really bad moves like signing Crawford with the Sox and Heyward/Darvish/Chatwood with the Cubs, to go along with the awful Quintana trade. BUT…he ended a Cubs losing skid that lasted 108 years! I never thought I’d ever see the Cubs win in my lifetime.
How on earth is that Darvish deal bad given his performance the last 4 months of last season?
2..76 ERA, 16.08 K/BB, 0.80 WHIP, 13.0 K/9IP. For the season the guy posted a 1..09 WHIP. That’s significantly better than Wheeler’s stats for 2019. And Wheeler is making more money. Never mind Arrieta’s stats last year.
He was a huge stud once he stopped walking guys in June.
Darvish is our best pitcher. Take away the juiced ball and he would have been in the top 5 of all pitchers in the second half.
Uh… what? Didn’t everybody pitch with the juiced baseball? You think taking it away would make him better but not everybody else? I’m confused.
What about the other 3 halves of seasons with the Cubs in which he was either injured (2nd half of 2018, you still had to pay him) or really bad (4.95 ERA in 1st half of 2018 and 5.01 ERA in 1st half of 2019)? We’ll just ignore them since they don’t fit your narrative? Got it.
He’s trending in the right direction. He definitely seemed to figure out his control issues last year. If it carries over to 2020 he will be underpaid.
You paid the man $120M… you paid for him to “trend in the right direction” or to be a ready to go top of the rotation weapon that will play a big role in getting you a big ring before your window closes in 2022?
They paid him to be a huge rotation piece. He was last year and hopefully will be again next year. His first season was a disaster with the injury. Going forward his contract looks very fair. I guarantee there are a bunch of teams that would love to have his arm and contract in their rotation right now.
He is a first baseman for goodness sake! Lock him up for life! The front office is really looking bad lately.
Your logic is unique.
Pads should sign him next offseason.
So the only guy they think they can lock up to a long term deal is a Jim Hendry draft pick. Theo and his clowns have gone against everything they said they wouldn’t do. Glad we got a ‘ship but its time for a change. Sell the team Ricketts.
Theo has turned this team into a laughing stock circus in just under 3 years. Unreal.
One or both of these MUST be true:
1) Ricketts family is going to sell the team very shortly and they don’t want to add any long-term, big money deals.
2) Ricketts family doesn’t trust Theo with their money anymore.
3) Ricketts realize Theo can only make a World Series team with top draft picks followed by a couple expensive long term free agent contracts, so they are allowing him to strip and tank the team to start a new rebuild. Cubs in ’26!
Pretty much every good baseball team ever has been a mix of top draft picks and long term free agent contracts. Not sure how any Pres could win without them.
If he is wanting a 5 /80 extension I say lock him up. 7 years at about 16 mil, with regards to him playing so well at a discount the last few years, this will pay it forward if he falters at the at age 36 or 37, but, still be better than the 25 mill we eat annually on other guys who don’t measure up. All numbers aside, the veteran leadership he brings to the field is something the Cubs lacked in most of their troubled years and a key to their success.
Chicago Cubs have replaced the ’85 Bears in folk lore.
You’re crazy. The ‘85 Bears are the greatest team in league history. The only dominant aspect of the 2016 cubs was the closer they rented from the Yankees.
‘Jealous Sox fan’ is a tired motif and never a good look. Go enjoy Mortgage Field with the other 8 Sox fans. Just don’t forget your kevlar vest on the way to the park.
Only a meathead would put the cubs ahead of the ‘85 Bears at ANYTHING.
If I were Cubs management, I wouldn’t have addressed this either UNLESS Rizzo had approached me. Now that he has, amid the Bryant controversy, the management are starting to make themselves look bad. Well…..worse…..
I think Rizzo’s approach at the plate always has the possibility of a big season especially if he gets he back problems under control. If Rizz hits .300 and 40 hrs this year, it is going to be harder to keep him. I couldn’t see him playing anywhere else and he is nowhere near as greedy as his 3B counterpart.
You don’t get back problems “under control”, especially power hitters in baseball. Rizzo will struggle to stay healthy for the rest of his career. Back problems don’t go away.
Nonsense. Sheer nonsense.
Nonsense that back problems never go away? I have chronic lower back pain. It only gets worse as you get older, and surgery doesn’t help much, either. A lot of ballplayer’s struggle with it because that’s where you generate power. But whatever, it feels like I’m telling a 9 year there’s no Easter Bunny.
Don Mattingly was a prime example. HOFer if he stayed healthy, but back problems are debilitating and not just to hitters; look at Kershaw too.
Why is KB greedy? You don’t even know what he’s going to ask.
I’d love to see him healthy, playing 1B in Yankee stadium. Plus he seems like a great clubhouse personality.
lmao Bryant is greedy? source that for me, please. He seems like a good guy who got scumbagged by his franchise and wants to make it right for himself and others in the future
How’d he get “scumbagged”? That’s ridiculous. Bryant beaks a hangnail and he’s out two months. He’s soft, entitled and overly sensitive. He doesn’t fo his teammates (remember them Krissy) any favors with this nonsense either. Always whining about “me”, “my free agency”. Play better defense, stop trying to hit every ball you see out of the park and support your teammates for a change. Then the cubs would have given you a Quater billion dollars. As it stands, he’ll have to prove he’s a better player and person than he has been the last two years before that can happen.
Do people realize the fact that they’re not just extending him at the present moment? Have the Cubs come out and said they weren’t extending him at all next year or just resign him at the end of his contract???
Yea, but in “Theo speak,” that means “We’re not ever going to extend you, unless you agree to play for the salary equivalent of free soda in the clubhouse vending machine.”
Man, I feel like I’d be pretty peeved these days if I were a Cubs fan.
cubs fans, and Chicago sports fans in general, are inoculated from cynicism at this point. Sports in that town have been so bad for so long, most don’t even care anymore unless a team is winning.
I’ll be watching the Angels, this year. For the Cubs, 2020 is gonna be like 2012. It’s gonna be a loooooong 3-4 years. Rebuild 2.0 has commenced.
It’s not a rebuild not even close
The Cubs are laying the groundwork for another hundred year drought
I kind of understand the Cubs taking a rain check on extending Rizzo at this particular time. They still have two years of control over Rizzo, so why rush?
I think the Cubs will have a better understanding of where they’re headed financially following the ’20 season when Chatwood, Quintana, and likely Lester will all be off the books.
He’s 30. Now’s the time to move him. His value will probably never be higher than it is right now.
He’s also the beat 1B in NL and he’s better than 7.1B in the AL
Its time to extend him. But they’ll do it next year.
Oh, how the mighty has fallen. The Cubs are a joke
Classy
face of the franchise, top 3 first baseman in mlb, top 15-20 player in mlb, class act, loyal to his franchise. Good job, cubbies. There will be another team that will appreciate him more when he becomes a free agent.
Rizzo is controlled two more seasons. The Cubs not extending him at this moment does not mean anything other than they just do not have to do it now.
Theres no way they dont pick up his option. They’ll keep Baez and Rizzo. It’s a mistake to trade Contreras the upside is 4 players all pitchers In return
Imagine if they unloaded a couple of those guys now though – the could completely restock their farm system and solidify a future run at the title again. But if Cubs were my team I would not want to see them go either. I’d take any of the players you named.
They would be loaded if they moved Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber, Contreras, etc.. but the Cubs fans might riot lol. I always thought Rizzo to the Yanks would be great for NYY especially if they sent some young pitching arms to CHC. But I think Contreras and maybe Schwarber get moved.
I think Rizzo eventually get extended just not this offseason. IMO, he is the face of the Cubs, not Bryant. Besides playing 1B in the NL, he should age better than Bryant (3B).
Interested to see how Rizzo fares at the plate this year with new tutelage and another year of experience under belt. He has room for improvement (he overswings too much which is weird, given that he often goes into contact hitting mode at the right times). Very few first basemen I’d rather have defensively or clubhouse presence-wise. At prime age at that position. Were I him (or Baez), I’d think twice about reupping with this organization right now.