MLB Spring Training has begun, and unsigned free agents are increasingly at risk of not making a team’s opening day roster. One such player is 2016 World Series champion and three-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo.
After joining the New York Yankees in 2021 via a trade from the Chicago Cubs, Rizzo spent parts of four seasons with the team. However, he had the worst full season of his career in 2024, posting an 81 OPS+ in 375 plate appearances.
For the second consecutive year, Rizzo was a below-average hitter, leading the Yankees to decline his $17 million team option for 2025. This decision may result in Rizzo considering retirement.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Rizzo acknowledged that retirement could be a real possibility. “I’ve definitely thought about it,” Rizzo said. “I think I have a lot to give to the game still. But at the same time, if teams are not going to want to pay a few million dollars for veterans, I’ve seen it the last 10 years of my career.
It’s what happens to the older guys. They kind of get squeezed. You’ve seen it happen more and more. I’m not naive to it. It could be it.”
Earlier reports indicated that Rizzo’s market might be slow due to the ongoing free agency situation of New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. As of February 4, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that several free agents, including Rizzo, were waiting for Alonso’s decision before getting more clarity on their own situations.
With Alonso re-signing with the Mets, the Yankees are no longer a likely landing spot for Rizzo. It now appears that Rizzo’s market was possibly nonexistent from the start.
Before 2023, Rizzo had only posted a sub-100 OPS+ once in his career, during his first 49 games with the San Diego Padres in 2011. After that, for over a decade, Rizzo was considered one of MLB’s top two-way first basemen. Now, however, it seems that Rizzo’s career may be nearing its end.
