The Yankees and Anthony Rizzo are in agreement to reunite on a two-year deal with a $40MM guarantee. That comes in the form of a $17MM salary in 2023 and 2024, followed by a $17MM club option for 2025 with a $6MM buyout.
Rizzo, 33, spent many years with the Cubs, a key part of the club’s core that broke the 108-year curse by winning the 2016 World Series. From 2014 to 2019, he was remarkably consistent and productive, hitting between 27 and 32 home runs in each of those six years. His wRC+ was always between 126 and 155, indicating he was between 26% and 55% above league average at the plate. His wins above replacement tally, according to FanGraphs, was between 3.2 and 5.3 in each of those campaigns.
The next two seasons saw Rizzo slide from those great heights somewhat, though he was still a strong performer. In the shortened 2020 campaign, he hit .222/.342/.414 for a wRC+ of 103. The next year, which included a midseason deal to the Yankees, came in at .248/.344/.440 and a wRC+ of 113.
Despite the slight downturn, he was still above-average at the plate and is generally considered a solid defender at first base. He was ineligible for a qualifying offer because of the midseason trade. He and the Yankees agreed to a deal that would keep him in the Bronx, with Rizzo earning $32MM over two years, though he could opt out of the final year and its $16MM salary.
Despite dealing with various ailments throughout 2022, he ended up having a nice bounceback campaign. His 32 home runs matched a career high and his .224/.338/.480 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 132. Based on that strong showing, he triggered his opt-out and returned to free agency in search of a larger deal. It’s also been speculated that the upcoming ban on aggressive defensive shifts will help him, given that his left-handed bat and low speed make him particularly vulnerable to those. The Yankees extended a $19.65MM qualifying offer to him, which he could have accepted and locked in a slight raise over his expected salary. But it seemed he had other suitors, with the Astros being one club known to have interest in him.
3pm Central time today was the deadline for players to accept or reject qualifying offers, with Rizzo among the 12 who declined, though reports emerged shortly thereafter that he and the Yankees agreed to a longer pact. Rizzo will return to his post at first base and earn $17MM per year, so very close to the QO, but he’ll actually have an AAV slightly ahead of it thanks to the buyout. His $40MM guarantee over two years comes out just barely ahead of the two years and $36MM projected by MLBTR.
By getting Rizzo to put pen to paper, the Yanks have prevented a key bat from departing in free agency. Of course, Rizzo is only the second most important player in this camp, as all eyes are squarely focused on Aaron Judge and whether the Yanks can convince him to stay. With Rizzo’s contract on the books, the club’s 2023 payroll is now around $207MM in the estimation of Roster Resource. Last year, they opened the season at $246MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, leaving them about $40MM in space before they’re caught up to that difference. Of course, if they are willing to increase their spending beyond last year’s levels, they should have even more to work with.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Rizzo and the Yanks were reuniting on a multi-year deal. Andy Martino of SNY first relayed the two-year plus a club option framework. Jack Curry of YES Network was first on the dollars.
Image courtesy USA Today Sports.
5/5 let’s go!
Too bad we’re tied with everyone.
For everyone that thought he was signing with the Astros this is for you.
no one thought that
In fact, if you got to the comments, many were saying Houston was just driving up the price for NY.
Love the free-bees
HAHA ASTROS!
Ha Ha What? The Astros are World Series Champions. The Yanks, well they re-signed Rizzo, good for them. They needed someone on their roster who has sniffed a World Series.
You mad bro?
Hey Stroh! We are “World Series Caliber” buddy!
So….. there’s that…. Right?
Too bad its in an alternate universe, certainly not this one, even if Judge and rizzo( and ikf ugh) remain,
Anderson and now Rizzo- we’re off to the races, lads!
Anderson?
Tyler Anderson also came off the board (Angels).
I’m just stoked that the big moves are starting to go down. Love me some Hot Stove season lol.
Floch, is it sad that most of us here enjoy the Hot Stove more than the regular season? Lol
And lose to the Astros
As an Orioles fan who has suffered through several extended periods of futility in my lifetime, I know exactly what you mean about the Hot Stove season kind of being more enjoyable than the regular season lol.
And with the Orioles finally emerging from their latest stretch of awfulness and being poised to make some meaningful moves in the coming months, I’m especially pumped this year!
I assume it’s 2 years at $36m.
With the third year buyout, I think of it as 40 million for two years and the Yankees can pay 11 million more for the third year.
2 yrs/40M with a mix of word salad.
The word salad that you referred to but didn’t mention actually changes things and makes your statement incomplete.
Now let’s get Judge signed!
This is why you don’t submit your FA predictions before the deadline.
I’m changing mine as news breaks.
You can change them still.
I never got the email after I made my picks. And MLBTR hasn’t responded to me despite several attempts.
You only get the email if you logged in with Google or another app. I learned that last year and missed a point that way. Correcte dit this time.
FYI, I had predicted Rizzo back to Yankees and Bell to Asterisks.
Astros signing Bell? Maybe if Click was still GM. Close to zero percent chance of that even possibly happening now.
2/$34
Boom I was right
If right means being off by 6m. Its 2yrs/40M. or 3yrs/51M.
2 @ $17 plus $6 year 3 buyout guaranteed
$40 mil
Good, he’s a class act and his bat plays well in Yankee Stadium. His BA probably recovers this year too since the shift will be banned.
What’s with the class act? You mean because he doesn’t act like a moron?
I mean Rizzo is a well respect player among his peers, not to mention he brings championship experience to the clubhouse, what’s not to like?
I agree completely. He’s a class act and fills a need well. Im not sure the Astros need him but if they had been able to pry him away it would have made the gap wider. Rizzo is a loyal guy and clearly likes playing with this team. I wish him and the Yanks success
the impact of the shift ban on lefties will be significant. shifts cut 40 points off of mark teixeira’s BA (with a little help from age and kevin long)
Built for the ball park and just seems to be one of those players who age well with power numbers.
Yea!!! Time to bring back his buddy, Judge. Then Benintendi and a left handed reliever!!! Go Yankees!!!
Do FAs signed before the contest closes still count? If so, I got Rizzo, Kershaw and Montero so far
Yours will be tossed out for flagrant cheating. In fact, police will be arriving shortly
Haha maybe if I win it’ll come with an asterisk
Yea – close date is Wednesday, everything signed before that is a free bee. Though the police coming is funny.
If you didnt have Kershaw to LA before announced, I would be shocked
Good for Yanks. Gives them a better chance at re-signing Judge.
Even better for Jose Abreu!
So he actually took less per year than the QO. Why not accept the QO then sign a 2 year extension?
Because there’s no guarantee they offer him that if he accepts the QO.
That’s why there negotiations though. My point was he still left money on the table.
Guaranteed $34M, no matter what, even with his bad back. QO is $20M guaranteed, after that all bets are off
He’s guaranteed $40MM no matter what once the $6MM buy-out is factored in. Another way to think of it: 2 years and $40MM or a club option to make it 3 years and $51MM.
Is the buyout guaranteed though because he technically could be DFAd before the end of the second year meaning that he only gets 34 million and then he becomes a free agent on a new contract. Or does he still get the 6mil?
Guaranteed two years of salary plus a club option for another year if he stays healthy and keeps producing. Given his back issues he has the extra year of security in case it keeps getting worse.
He’s guaranteed $40M over two years if the Yankees decline his third year. I think they would’ve preferred if he accepted the Q.O. and gone year-to-year.
I was hoping for a similar deal as the past one but this isn’t bad. Now the question is, where does Austin Wells play when he comes up? Maybe he splits time between being the backup C and LF until Rizzo’s deal is up and he inevitably moves to 1B
Thought there was a good chance a deal would be signed today as soon as I heard the agent leak that the Astros were interested. He was always going back to the Yankees. He loves it there, he’s made for the park, and he’s BFF with Judge. He’ll be returning too although at a slightly higher contract!
Rizzo without the shift should be fun to watch.
I think so. The 2nd RFer caught a lot of his almost hits.
Lord & Joe, skeptical of this move because of back issue concerns. That said; pretty sure Cashman wouldn’t have done this if back issue was serious. Even if so, your intel on team unity with close ties to Aaron is huge. And did not know he was a victim of the shift. Thanks.
Stay healthy AR, stay healthy.
41 of his GB outs were fielded by an infielder playing on the grass. As you said, the 2nd RFer. More than any other player in MLB.
He will undoubtedly still hit into outs to the 3.5 hole, but at least some of those that have been caught by an infielder on an extreme shift should fall for hits.
It’ll change his entire two-strikes approach as well. He likes to choke up to get around faster to hook a cheap homerun. Now he doesn’t have to try to hit it out every time with two strikes.
So much for him accepting the QO
I think most of us knew he was going to reject it.
Look at the comments from “ Previewing Upcoming Qualifying Offer Decisions” I tried to link it here but got hit with the “pending”
Probably non-Yankees fans and only looking at Rizzo’s batting average.
So essentially got a million dollar raise over what his salary would have been but $2 million less than if he accepted the QO. Good deal for Rizzo though, hits well in Yankees Stadium and gets to tack on an extra year (or two, depending on the option)
He turned a $16MM guarantee, into a rejected $19.6MM QO, and ultimately into either $48MM over three years or, at minimum, a $40MM guarantee over two years. I’d take it. If someone was offering it to me! Sadly, they’re not.
*51* million.
Bringing him back was essential if they let Judge walk, since it’s hard to name anyone else on the roster who could be described as a team leader.
They have Josh Donaldson, who according to Cashman is still MVP caliber…
Oh, that’s hilarious! You made me spit out my drink on that one.
Cashman has no shame, coming out with remarks like that.
If anyone ranks as an anti-leader on the team, it might be a contest between Hicks and Donaldson, for different reasons. But I’m just a fan with no access to the clubhouse, so these are just inferences that might be way off the mark. Still, I’d love to see both of them and their terrible contracts moved for whatever could be had in return, which wouldn’t be much.
I’d have to go with Hicks only because he threw Boone under the bus with the “Roberts gets the best out of Gallo” comment. Especially when Boone is dumb enough to shield Hick’s from everyone. Then Hicks ….. you know what? This guy says it best… once you get past the intro and his mustache, he expresses exactly how we feel watching Hicks:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=xUL7RKEg-pw
Sadly you probably couldn’t get a used jockstrap for either player
Has it been washed?
Actually, with Hicks it was worn backwards…..
I was with him about Hicks backstabbing Boone.
He lost me when he went off on the macho man with a mic routine.
I mean who is this jamoke? He looks like an unathletic high school kid talking tough in his high, screechy voice. Where’d his toughness come from — playing “Dungeon Fighter” and “Call of Duty” on his PlayStation?
This clown is so immersed in his own fantasy world — like so many other posturing American males — he has no clue what a clown he is. I’m miles beyond tired of the men in this country making damned fools of themselves with this kind of sillyass posturing. And this is the sort of mentality that leads to pinheads with guns shooting innocent children — hapless bystanders — in the head by accident.
This guy is a child. I hope someday he grows up enough to be embarrassed at what a clown he was on YouTube when he was younger.
Yeah, he’s ….. over the top on some stuff. You can tell he has a lot of inexperience(?) in the real world. But his assessment of Aaron Hicks is accurate. I hadn’t heard many other people really call Hicks out for that and came across it accidentally. It was actually an interview with Max Goodman of SI that someone else did (not a bad interview) that linked this video recommendation (by YT, not Max).
I wish I could cut a YT video so it’s just the 15 seconds or whatever and has the link. He does go off on Boone and a bunch of other stuff too, obviously. If I recall the expletives get pretty intense too.
Blaming Boone for Gallo’s struggles — and by inference his own — was a new low for Hicks. Cashman should’ve DFA’d him on the spot.
But I think this YouTube guy is wrong when he blames Boone for the lack of accountability in the clubhouse. I don’t put that at Boone’s door — I’d assign that to Cashman.
Remember, it was Cashman who let Girardi go for his alleged lack of communication skills with the players. What did that mean? “The issue and the concerns were,” Cashman explained, “ability to fully engage, communicate, connect with the playing personnel.”
I seem to recall Joe taking flak for telling the truth after being badgered by reporters about a lousy game by Sanchez behind the dish. Girardi simply said Sanchez’s defense needed to improve — an inarguable point.
If Boone goes too easy on his players, it looks to me from the outside like that’s what he was hired to do.
Yeah, you’re correct on that one too, Fink. That does fall squarely on Cashman. When Boone started Hicks in LF (I think it was the next game, perhaps?) Cashman should’ve been on the horn with him immediately asking what in the world he is doing. But, then again, as you say, he should’ve been DFA’d on the spot.
Not to mention they just brought him back, after all that, instead of going with Bucky, Bochy, etc, etc.
Yes! Now bring back his friend Aaron,
That better not be Hicks!
Not a Yankee fan, but great move for both. Solid guy all around.
I like it! I know some fans will think it’s more likely now Judge resigns but it really doesn’t change anything.
Hey, don’t be negative, man. We are halfway back to championship caliber!
We just got peanut butter, now we need jelly. I can see title #28 right now…… it’s in the future, long after I’m dead, and the world has stopped spinning…
Took a pay cut for sure! I would of took qualifying offer for almost 20 and do this again fa 2023 after a monster year
He’s guaranteed $40M for 2 years. Not sure how you see $19.65M for 1 year as a pay cut.
He loves that short porch.
Bottom line is the Yankees need the LH power bat and right now Rizzo represents the only one on the roster. They could re-sign Benintendi or Carpenter but Benintendi had no power last season and then broke a hamate bone which saps power even more and it would be hard pressed to imagine that Carpenter could duplicate what he did last season
The Astros win again. Duped them into a quick signing. I doubt they had any interest at all.
But that said, it was probably a smart move by the Yankees to sign him. Just happened awful quick. We’ll find out if was actually a smart move over the next two to three years. So, wait.
Rizzo was one of the Yankee leaders like he was with the Cubs. He took less money to sign with the Cubs, and he got a good contract from the Yanks. He is a key piece in their plans, and the Yanks realize the new no shift rule will only help him.
Jose Abreu to the Padres? I wanted Rizzo but Abreu will do nicely.
I knew it.
I knew he had too much class to sign with Houston.
Now he doesn’t have to worry about losing your respect.
Just to be right back to losing to them in the ALCS
LOL….More like Houston didn’t pony up the extra cash the Yanks did for fear of losing him.
Keeps him away from the Atros
Yankees are a slow old unathletic beer league softball team. Until they infuse some speed and youth and a few players who can catch the ball they won’t win a World Series.
Liklihood is this ends up a 3/51. The gap on the third year will make it only an $11 million decision.
Yeah, for $11MM he could be in a wheelchair and Cashman would push him out there because a stat nerd will say that he gets on base a lot.
Then when Boone is asked about his lack of defense (ya know, because he’s in a wheelchair and all) Boone will say how internal metrics have him as the best 1B defender in MLB.
You are on a roll
Cashman shouldve worded it 2 year contract for 1M per season. With third year option of 49M or 38M Buyout. Then all the Yankees fans could claim Rizzo signed for 2years/2M.
Damn I was really hoping he’d leave the Bronx. At least Houston didn’t get him.
Regrets coming soon.
I did not think he would come here. Who on the Yankees wants to go elsewhere. When more often than not Yankees make the playoffs. Now we shall see if Judge stays. But Rizzo had till 4 pm to make his decision. I know with the 50 free agents prediction Josh Bell had a couple picking him to go to Houston. I really do not see Yuli being main man at spot this coming season. But if Judge left could see him Dodgers of anyone. Because another team most likely reaching playoffs.
Love to see Bell switch hitting in middle of Houston’s lineup. Dusty was outspoken about the team not having any black guys on the team. Bell certainly fits the bill.
Should’ve given him 3 years. Solid defense, hits homeruns, clutch in the playoffs. Cheap Hal being Cheap Hal
They can have him for 3. Good fit.
I took a few chances in the prediction contest. I had him going to San Diego. Not surprised he stayed in the Bronx though…
In cases like this, how much is the lux tax 17M or 20M?
Is the buy out count on that year lux tax?
It is $17MM for now. If they don’t exercise the option, then the buyout $$ is averaged across the two years.
So a team can cross previous years lux tax if they where shy by small amount ? the logic is if the player receives the money on the third year, in this case those 6m goes to 2025, but I don’t know the rules.
The drafts already passed and those are the real punish, and int. money.
If the Yankees don’t option him for ’25 and the additional $3MM per year results in further penalties for the past years, the league can take steps to apply the penalties for ’25.
If he can’t hit anything but homeruns then the Yankees won’t beat the good teams.
Let’s trade Torres for a pitcher and DJ back ro 2nd. IKF as utility infielder.
Man, DJL is getting up there in age. I’ve got him penciled in for 125 games going forward.
Even that would be a stretch for DJ,he’s in a lot of trouble staying on the field in recent years. Expect that to continue or worsen as he ages.
The Astros wouldn’t overpay for aging slugger with a bad back. I think their interest was concocted by Rizzo’s agent. As for the Yankees, they’re hopelessly stupid.
Someone’s salty they didn’t get a clubhouse leader and clutch hitter. Not to mention his friendship with Judge was critical to keeping him.
Every player’s deal comes with a physical so that the team knows what they’re getting. The Yankees wouldn’t have gone after him so fast if he was a serious risk. Rizzo’s only 33 for Pete’s sake. Houston’s looking at Jose Abreu and he’s 36.
He’s a feast or famine slugger. Moreover, his statcast OAA is awful. This team can’t afford to bring back players who have been unable to get this team to the next level. Overpaying mediocre talent while under self imposed hard cap will yield failure and disappointment. If the Yankees really wanted to win, they should go hard for Nimmo. In addition to his plethora of skills, he should hit 20-25 HRs according to Statcast.
Cashman continues to bore fans.
This was the ‘safe’ choice, that will cost the Yankees. Give Cabrera a 1Bman’s glove and he’s at least as likely to turn in a 2 win season as Rizzo, beating him by 15 runs on defense.
A 2 win 33 yo with abysmal defense in significant decline, to 2/40m? Absurd.
It’s a perfectly appropriate contract in length, value, AAV, etc. there was no other viable first base option.
He’s the best glove at the position, he’s got that power to the short porch, he will benefit from the elimination of the shift.
He’s getting paid what he’s kind of worth. He joins the $20M AAV club if the contract doesn’t work out. He stays in his appropriate value range if the option gets picked up- and if it gets picked up he will have earned it.
Good deal all around. But we gotta plan for him to be MIA on the IL for about 40 or so games each of these seasons.
Judge will sign soon. My bet is 8 yrs @ 320M or thereabouts. Could be options in there as well.
I think the yankees will claim they are broke, once the judge deal is done. I expect another year of hicks and trivino instead.
$20M a year for Rizzo? Massive overpay…Yankees are so dumb
Rizz is a prototype slugging 1b basically Tiex 2.0 just cheaper. And both were great clubhouse guys. And yes he has a ring. It’s a good start. I’d like Benintendi back for sure. And of course Mr Upton. I think 2 years 70 mil will get him to New York. 8 years 325 for judge and we’re all done. Time for the yanks to open the pocket books maybe Nelson Cruz to fill carpenters role when Stanton plays the field
Benintendi needs to be in a KC type atmosophere to excel, aka, no pressure. Yes he had some early success in Boston, but the big lights effect him too much now. You can see it in his eyes when he’s batting, he looks frazzled. Just look at his stats after 2018, in towns not named KC.
1 WS in the last 22 years and the league getting younger by the day Yankees sign another guy in his mid 30’s to a multiyear deal – Rizzo a good if not great player and history tells us he’s going to decline as it goes – with DJL, Stanton, Cole, Hicks, Donaldson and a soon to be 31year old Judge they should call this team Del Boca Vista – serenity NOW
Appreciate the Seinfeld reference. However, isn’t it true that most players don’t hit free agency until they’re in their early 30s? And who was a better option, 36 year old righty Jose Abreu? Josh Bell who is meh defensively?
Guaranteed 39 year old Justin Verlander and 35 year old Jacob deGrom who hasn’t pitched a full season in years will be a brilliant signing for whatever team ponies up for them, and their fan bases will be ecstatic.
I love how people turn this into Baseball Twitter and just dump all over what was a Yankee no-brainer. He was an emotional rock for this team and had a massive first half, before the back started barking.
If you watch the team day in and day out, you knew the value he provided. How many errors he saved at first. Protection for Judge, especially early on. Being the veteran sage to the Nestors, Cabreras and other young players. Rizzo and Carpenter carried this team at times last year, although Judge got most of the pub because of the numbers he incredibly produced.
There are still questions and concerns at this point, but it’s a sensible start for a team that knows it has a ways to go to catch up to the consistency of Houston, ward off the division rivals and recognize where Cleveland found success.
Of course Rizzo came back. With that short right field fence, he should be paying the Yankees. It still won’t matter. They will not advance without better pitching.
Now, Jose Abreu to HOU. Without a GM puppet to give context and a voice of reason, Click is going to overpay like he did Montero. If not HOU for Abreu, then who? MIA could be interesting, but I don’t think they’ll beat the market.