The New York Yankees made a splash last night in free agency, which seems to have gotten the market moving once again.
New York re-signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who they acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline last season.
The deal is for two years and is worth $32 million.
The new contract also includes a player opt-out after the first year of the deal, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
The Yankees now have their first baseman for at least the 2022 season and appear ready to make some noise and take a shot at winning the AL East.
Anthony Rizzo gets $32 million for two years with an opt out after the first year, per source. That opt out is huge. It’s a free year for him. If he goes off, chance to make more next off season.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 16, 2022
A Perfect Deal
This is a good deal for the Yankees.
After picking up Josh Donaldson, they continue to add solid pieces to their roster, which looks scary heading into the new season.
It’s also a solid deal for Rizzo himself.
As Rogers notes, Rizzo has the option to opt out of his deal after this season.
If Rizzo has a strong season and puts up solid numbers, he could potentially look to opt out of his contract and take an opportunity to get a better deal and make even more money next offseason, so this contract could work out perfectly for him.
Rizzo has struggled a bit over the past few seasons but could take advantage of that short right field porch at Yankee Stadium, himself being a left-handed hitter.
That could help him get his numbers back up to where they used to be, which could then give him the opportunity to get an even better deal next offseason, assuming he chooses to opt out of his contract after this season.
But this deal is a perfect one for Rizzo, and if he has a good season, you can bet he’ll take the opportunity to make some more money next year.
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