New York Yankees Predicted To Decline Former Chicago Cubs Legends Club Option

The New York Yankees could move on from the Chicago Cubs fan favorite in the offseason.

Oct 15, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first base Anthony Rizzo (48) gets caught in a pickle during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game two of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs aren't the only team that will have to make some difficult decisions during the offseason. 

Among the other tough moves that must be made around Major League Baseball include Anthony Rizzo's contract with the New York Yankees. Rizzo has a club option, and given his struggles at the plate throughout the past two seasons, there's a chance the Yankees might decide to part ways with him. 

The former Cubs fan favorite is clearly on the decline and wouldn't be someone Chicago should pursue. 

The left-hander has put together an impressive career, but a few injuries have caught up to him recently and have caused him to struggle. 

Regarding his future contract, Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac predicted New York would decline his option.

"Father Time hasn’t been kind to Rizzo both from a production and reliability standpoint of late, putting the Yankees in position to take on the $6M buyout in favor of a $17M salary next season."

Interestingly enough, Rizzo having his option declined by the Yankees could be bad for the Cubs. If Chicago wants to sign Juan Soto, they need New York to spend as much money as possible on other players.

Soto could be looking at a potential $700 million contract, and while $17 million wouldn't be much at that point, something is better than nothing when a team pays a player that much. 

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic listed that scenario potentially playing out this winter. 

"He’ll play next season at age 35 — a year younger than LeMahieu. But everything this offseason needs to be seen through the lens of Soto. If the Yankees think saving money at first base and shifting it to Soto is a bigger priority, then all bets are off."

If Rizzo were to have hit the open market about 12 months ago, a reunion with the Cubs would've made sense. However, they've seemingly figured out their first base problems, which were an issue for far too long.

Unless they could sign Rizzo at a decent price, it's time to start moving on from aging veterans. The front office has seen the benefits of adding veteran players, but there's a difference between adding valuable ones and players past their glory days.

Given his career, Rizzo should find a new home. However, his play has been questionable recently, which could make teams hesitant about signing him to a deal in free agency.