Chicago Cubs Could Bring Back Franchise Legend in MLB Free Agency

Could the Chicago Cubs try to bring back this fan-favorite team legend?

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have not had a whole lot to smile about since their curse-ending World Series triumph in 2016.

After losing in the NLCS the following season in 2017, the team has not won a playoff game since and missed the playoffs entirely in five of the last seven seasons. As starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks sits as the only remaining player from 2016 - and even he appears poised to leave in free agency this offseason - could a turning back of the clock be in order this offseason with a player who led the charge to the first World Series for the franchise since 1908?

Power-hitting first baseman Anthony Rizzo was traded by the Cubs to the New York Yankees at the 2021 trade deadline and has struggled to replicate the same production that he had in Chicago. With a $17 million team option looming over his future status with the Yankees, Rizzo becoming a free agent feels more likely than not as New York will almost surely move on. Patrick McAvoy of Sporting News proposed that the Cubs could try to bring Rizzo back as a cheaper alternative to some of the names that have been thrown out add to the lineup.

"After injuries derailed his last two seasons, it seems like the Yankees may end up declining the option," McAvoy wrote. "If that ends up becoming a reality, maybe a reunion could make sense....Maybe bringing Rizzo in to add more depth on a cheap deal could make more sense than a mega deal for someone else."

2024 was arguably the worst season of Rizzo's career at the age of 35. The veteran posted a .228 average with just eight home runs and 35 RBIs with the worst OPS since his rookie year nearly a decade and a half ago in San Diego. With his age and injury history as well as numbers that have trended in the wrong direction for multiple consecutive seasons now, expecting Rizzo to suddenly have some sort of career resurgence after coming back to the Cubs is probably unlikely.

But if the team misses out on guys like Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander to add power to the lineup - or more likely decides they are too expensive - Rizzo will not cost much and would likely be thrilled to come home and finish his career in Chicago. He would be no more than a depth player at this point in his career, but if he could stay healthy, he could prove to be a productive signing.