Is Anthony Rizzo In The Yankees Off Season Plans?

A crowded infield. Average athleticism. And a need for a shortstop. These are all elements of the current Yankee situation. This is also a situation that poses an interesting opportunity. Do the Yankees shop Luke Voit and invest in Anthony Rizzo or seek other options at first base which likely will include a platoon with DJ LeMahieu? Is Rizzo top of mind for the Yankees offseason plans?

According to MLB.com, “Rizzo earned $16.5 million last season and reportedly turned down a five-year, $75 million extension from the Cubs. Rizzo’s left-handed bat adds balance and he fits the bill of what Cashman desires as far as an athletic contact hitter, but if his asking price has not budged, does he fit into a crowded infield that already has DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit as viable options at first base?”

Rizzo fit in pretty quickly with the Yankees rhythm but an early exit to the COVID IL likely kept him from being as effective as he could have been early on. He snapped back fairly quickly but the Yankees and Rizzo ran out of time to demonstrate his full value to this team. Could 2022 provide a opportunity for Rizzo to be the kind of consistent athletic hitter the Yankees desperately need? 

Rizzo represents leadership and a veteran player who younger players would look up to in addition to having a much needed lefty bat providing balance to the Yankees lineup. 

And then there’s his defense which is also very appealing to an infield that struggled mightily this year. According to a scout interviewed by SNY in October, “He’s a Gold Glove first baseman. There are not many first basemen who are better than him. The Yankees and their fans hadn’t seen that. He makes all these plays that everyone has trouble with. He takes a lot of balls out of the dirt, saves errors on bad throws. “I know he’s getting older, but he does a lot of positive things.”

Look the Yankees need positivity, and consistency—two key attributes missing from this team. He could provide stability and I like him, but Aaron Judge needs to have his payday too, and there is that need for a shortstop, both good enough reasons for the Yankees to pause or even pass on Rizzo. Yet, the Red Sox showed interest at the trade deadline and we all know we don’t want to let a guy like Rizzo go to a division rival, particularly the Sox. 

Is Rizzo in the Yankees offseason plans? Yes. Will they need to consider other options given other priorities. Absolutely. But this could all work out so that Rizzo stays with the Yankees, which would be a great future investment for a team that needs to make something happen in 2022. 

–Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof