Yankees Rumors: Anthony Rizzo update suggests return is in the works?

When Anthony Rizzo was traded to the New York Yankees, one his former Chicago Cubs teammates mentioned that it was the perfect fit for the first baseman.

Then there were loose rumblings about how he wasn’t entirely fond of his time in the Bronx after the trade deadline.

OK! What is it?! Can we get some sort of direction here? The offseason is soon and the Yankees have a ton of decisions to make. Coincidentally, they badly need a first baseman because don’t expect Luke Voit to be here in 2022.

It turns out, Rizzo might want to stay with the Bombers, and that bit of information came from an unlikely source.

According to NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch, who reported on the Gerrit Cole-Brett Gardner spat and the bizarre Joey Gallo uniform ritual this weekend, Rizzo is “eager” to return to the Yankees.

Don’t throw out those Rizzo/Gallo shirts just yet, guys!

Is Anthony Rizzo going to return to the New York Yankees?

In the end, Rizzo is a fit. He’s a productive lefty bat, even though his foul home runs were beyond frustrating at times. He’s a Gold Glove defender, even though his defense managed to slip up a bit in New York. He’s a veteran leader, even though it seems like he got put under the Yankees’ “lack of motivation and full of lethargy” spell.

The question here is the years and money. Rizzo did enough to justify getting re-signed, but he didn’t exactly blow anybody away. The problem here is that he’s coming off a ridiculous seven-year, $41 million contract he inked years ago with the Cubs and will likely be viewing this offseason as his final big payday.

As for the Yankees, general manager Brian Cashman has a lot to spend on elsewhere. A shortstop is a top priority. So is another starting pitcher. Perhaps a center fielder? The bullpen needs some upgrades, too. What’s Hal Steinbrenner willing to pony up? Will a Rizzo deal inhibit the team from fulfilling other needs on the roster?

The feeling has to be mutual for the Yankees for this to work, though. Rizzo may want to return, but the Yankees may want it on their terms, which could rub the former World Series champ the wrong way. Then again, there’s a chance the Yankees free up even more money with trades and non-tenders.

Another advantage? There might be a lot of time to figure this out because of the expected work stoppage coming in early December. Some are predicting that top names may not sign until after all of that is settled.

That would almost leave the Yankees with no excuse not to get a deal done if they have more than a month to situate themselves financially, create a budget, and target their desired players.

Yankees: Anthony Rizzo’s former teammate thinks he belongs in pinstripes

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo belongs in the Bronx if he can't be a Cub. At least, so says Ian Happ, his ex-teammate.