Despite a few hiccups along the way, the New York Yankees had a decent end to the 2022 MLB season, winning the Al East title. However, after the end of the season, the team has been dealing with other struggles, i.e., building a strong roaster for the next season. MLB\’s most valuable asset this season, Aaron Judge, has already decided to bet on himself and step into the free-agency. While there is no confirmation about Judge\’s future club, another important Yankees player has declined an offer by the team. On Monday, first baseman Anthony Rizzo opted out of his deal with the Yankees.
Anthony Rizzo Declines Yankees\’ Deal!
For the foreseeable future, Aaron Judge will rightfully dominate the majority of Yankee-related news. He is not the only pinstriped slugger to have chosen to forego his offseason deal with the Yankees. Even wages of $16M each year were included in baseman Anthony Rizzo\’s $32-million, two-year contract with the Yankees. Prior to the 2023 season, the athlete, however, has chosen to break his contract. On Monday, the news was verified by a number of credible media sites.
The development was not unexpected because Rizzo would receive $16 million from his current contract with the Yankees for the upcoming season. However, after a season in which he hit 32 home runs and 75 RBIs, he decided to enter free agency in an effort to sign a new contract. The 33-year-old enjoyed his finest recent offensive season. His first full season with the Yankees will be in 2022. In addition to hitting 32 home runs, Anthony Rizzo also had a 132 wRC+ and.817 OPS, tying his career high. Out of the middle of the New York Yankees\’ batting order, he drove in 75 runs and scored 77 runs over the course of 130 games.
At first base, Rizzo was a frequent lifesaver for his teammates throughout the infield and received a Gold Glove Award nomination. However, several indicators revealed a decrease in Rizzo\’s defense. The first baseman had a defensive run save of -3 and generated Above Average Outs. The estimated contract for Anthony Rizzo would earn him $40 million over two years. This will be an $8 million increase in income over a comparable period from his last deal. Given that he will be 34 next year, it amounts to $4 million more, which is a sizable sum. But the financial investment is worthwhile.
On the other hand, with the Yankees planning to go all the in to reacquire Aaron Judge, it would not be easy for them to cater to the increased demands of Anthony Rizzo. But at the same time, they would want him to be a part of the team alongside Judge. After all, Judge alone can not guide the team toward the world championship title. Thus, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead from here.