Yankees in agreement with free agent first baseman Anthony Rizzoas first reported by Jordan Brown (Twitter link). Brown adds that it’s a two-year, $32 million warranty with a cancellation clause after the first season. Bob Nightingale reports from USA Today (on Twitter) will pay a flat salary of $16 million each season, leaving Rizzo with a $16 million decision in his next off-season. The transaction is pending physical.
Rizzo will return to the Bronx, where he finishes the 2021 campaign. The New York Cubs acquired him before the trade deadline, hitting .249/.340/.428 in 200 plate appearances in striped lines down the span. This was somewhat in line with the .248/ .346/ .446 mark he set on his 376 trips to the plate with Chicago during the first two months of the season.
This was the second consecutive season of sensible but unexciting production for Rizzo. He posted a .222/ .342/ .414 line during the 2020 short campaign. Going back two seasons, he has a .240/.343/.432 streak on 819 board appearances. Measured by WRC+, this production is achieved by nine percentage points higher than the league’s average hitter. It’s actually slightly below the standard (.254/.335/.455, 113 wRC+) set by the first league player throughout the league.
More is coming.
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