A reunion between the Cubs and Anthony Rizzo might be in the works.
Over the weekend, Bruce Levine of Chicago’s 670 AM The Score hinted that there might be a two or three-year deal in the neighborhood of $40 million being discussed.
Nothing official can happen until the lockout ends, and there is little sign that it will end anytime soon, but if the Cubs do re-sign Rizzo, it would be a move that makes a lot of sense for both parties.
Obviously, there is the history with the team. Rizzo was in many ways the de facto face of the franchise before being traded to the Yankees last July. He was with the organization through its toughest years, including a 101-loss season in 2012, and a key piece of the World Series-winning core in 2016. Seeing Rizzo back in a Cubs uniform would be a feel-good story for Chicago fans headed into the 2022 season.
And in a more practical sense, Rizzo would fill a hole in the lineup. The Cubs need left-handed power in the middle of the order — a need, of course, created by him being traded away — and though Rizzo will turn 33 in August, he is still consistently productive in that spot. Between the Cubs and Yankees last season, Rizzo put up a .783 OPS and hit 22 home runs. Even in the shortened 2020 season when Rizzo struggled at the plate, he still provided power (11 homers in 58 games).
Financially, bringing Rizzo back makes sense for the Cubs too. It is unclear where the luxury tax threshold for 2022 will fall once the new collective bargaining agreement is settled, but the Cubs will have an estimated $114 million payroll this year given their contracts with the current roster. That leaves ample room for signing Rizzo to the kind of terms Levine alluded to. It also leaves space to bring another impact bat like Carlos Correa.
There are reasons to hesitate here, however. As mentioned earlier, Rizzo is entering into the latter part of his career, and it is possible that the gradual dip in production over the past two years is the start of a trend. Rizzo has also dealt with minor, but nagging, back issues for much of the past few seasons of his career. He hit the injured list in April 2018 with back tightness, and Rizzo has otherwise been listed as day-to-day with back issues in 2019 and the first half of the 2021 season.
The availability of Freddie Freeman should also be considered. He would likely command a larger and/or more long-term contract than Rizzo, but Freeman would address the exact same needs as Rizzo. And likely with better production. Where Rizzo could be on the decline, Freeman has had three of the best seasons of his career from 2019 through 2021. The problem with going after Freeman is that he will be more highly sought after and naturally therefore more expensive. Given the aforementioned salary commitments the Cubs will have in 2022, they could afford him, but his contract needs are the main reason to leave him to sign elsewhere.
This is why Rizzo makes the most sense for the Cubs. In order to be competitive again in 2022, they have to be able to bring in more new faces than just Marcus Stroman. The rotation is going to need more help, and the outfield has at least one hole. Going after Rizzo instead of Freeman would allow the Cubs to improve on multiple fronts, which is what they need.
A deal of two years with a team option for a third — as Levine suggested would be the case — would make a lot of sense. The Cubs would not be committing to Rizzo in his late 30s if he truly is in the twilight of his career, and they would be free to keep him around if he stays productive.
The two sides of the lockout — owners and the players association — are still looking to agree upon a new collective bargaining agreement, but when they do, a reunion between the Cubs and Anthony Rizzo would be a good thing.
