Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Re-Sign Anthony Rizzo To 2-Year Deal

New York is bringing Rizzo back in free agency after acquiring the first baseman at the trade deadline last summer

Pat Ragazzo

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The New York Yankees have landed their new first baseman, and it won’t be a new face after all.

Last season’s trade deadline acquisition Anthony Rizzo has re-signed with the Bronx Bombers on what is expected to be a two-year, $32 million deal, which includes an opt out after 2022.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers confirmed this agreement and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had the contract figures and opt out. But the first individual to report on the signing and details was sports fan Jordan Brown, who scooped the entire industry an hour before it got out.

Throughout the offseason and lockout, Rizzo made it crystal clear that he wanted to return to the Yankees following a 49-game stint with the club in 2021, where he slashed .249/.340/.428 with eight home runs and 21 RBI. Prior to getting traded to the Yankees last July, Rizzo spent the past 9.5 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, where he helped them break their 108-year World Series title drought in 2016.

The three-time All-Star’s parents are from New Jersey and he has relatives that still reside there, so he will have family members located relatively close to his home ballpark.

With Rizzo back in the Bronx, the Yankees will be getting Gold Glove caliber defense at first base, as well as a left-handed power bat in the middle of their lineup.

The Yankees now have a logjam in their infield with Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres competing for three spots. But one thing is for certain, Rizzo will be the Yankees’ starting first baseman this season. This move also likely means that Luke Voit’s time in the Bronx is nearing the end. If the Yankees are unable to move Voit in a trade, he could serve in a bench role.

According to MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees went hard for free agent first baseman Freddie Freeman, however, they were under the impression that he had no desire to sign with them.

And after the cost to acquire first baseman Matt Olson, who was traded to the Atlanta Braves for a haul of top prospects on Monday, was too rich for general manager Brian Cashman, the team pivoted to bringing back Rizzo.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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