The Yankees worked out a new deal with Anthony Rizzo that will keep him in the Bronx for the next two years.
The first baseman has agreed to a two-year contract with the Bombers that includes a club option for a third year pending a physical, according to SNY’s Andy Martino. The reports first started to come out just after it had been reported that Rizzo declined the Yankee 0ne-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer, which he had until Tuesday at 4 p.m. to accept or decline.
His new deal will pay him $34 million over the two years, according to YES Network’s Jack Curry, and $17 million for the club optioned third year, The buyout in the third year would be $6 million.
Rizzo had been an important piece for the Yankees since his arrival and helped what had been an explosive offensive at times during the season. His 32 home runs tied a career-high for the first baseman and he had 75 runs batted in during the course of the year.
After Aaron Judge, Rizzo may be the most important player the Bronx Bombers had to re-sign this offseason, especially as word got out that the rival Houston Astros were targeting him in free agency. The Astros would have benefited two-fold from pursuing Rizzo by bolstering their own lineup while weakening the Yankees at the same time.
Rizzo appeared in 130 games last season for the Yankees and appeared in all nine playoff games. However, he did deal with back issues that shut him down on three separate occasions during the year.
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Rizzo’s re-signing means the main focus of the Yankees now is to lock up superstar slugger Aaron Judge. Like Rizzo, Judge declined his qualifying offer on Tuesday, but he was expected to test the open market.
This offseason has been categorized by some as one of the club’s most important after falling short of their championship aspirations and getting swept by the Houston Astros in the playoffs.
