Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Free Agent All-Star Projected to Sign With AL Club

One mainstay in the New York Yankees' lineup in recent years has been predicted to join another AL team this offseason.

Grant Young

Apr 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates with New York Yankees first base Anthony Rizzo (48) after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates with New York Yankees first base Anthony Rizzo (48) after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees have multiple starting position players from their 2024 World Series runner-up team who are entering free agency.

One of these is Anthony Rizzo, who had a disappointing 2024 campaign in New York, hitting .228 with a .636 OPS and 8 home runs during the regular season.

While his .721 OPS in the postseason showed improvement, his lack of power (0 home runs and 0 RBIs) in 30 playoff at-bats (combined with his lengthy injury history over the past few seasons) prompted the Yankees to decline Rizzo’s $17 million club option for 2025, making him a free agent.

There's still a chance that the Yankees might re-sign Rizzo to a less lucrative deal. But given his decline in recent years, New York seems most likely to move on from the three-time All-Star and let him sign with another team.

And in a November 21 article, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that team would be the Minnesota Twins.

"The Twins need to decide where Royce Lewis fits best on the infield, and the answer could be second base after he saw some action there down the stretch in 2024," Reuter wrote.

"That would open up playing time for Jose Miranda at third base and put them in the market to add a veteran first baseman, with Anthony Rizzo a great potential fit in the lineup and in the clubhouse."

Reuter then predicted Rizzo would be hitting 5th for the Twins in their projected 2025 Opening Day lineup.

Time will tell whether Reuter's prediction for Rizzo's future comes true.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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