NY Yankees decline club option to 3x All-Star Anthony Rizzo after World Series loss against LA Dodgers

Anthony Rizzo was denied the $17 million club option by the New York Yankees on Saturday, which made him a free agent this off-season.

NY Yankees decline club option to 3x All-Star Anthony Rizzo after World Series loss against LA Dodgers

Anthony Rizzo (Image via Sports Illustrated)

After losing the World Series loss in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees on Saturday announced the future of Anthony Rizzo. The franchise declined the club option to him, making him a free agent.

The three-time All-Star signed a two-year $34 million deal with the team in November 2022 to extend his stay. The club declined the first baseman’s $17 million offer for the 2025 season and instead paid him $6 million, his buyout price.

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Before Game 4 of the World Series, the 35-year-old acknowledged that this might be his last year with the team. While speaking with the reporters, Rizzo admitted that he loved being a Yankee.

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I love playing here. I love being a Yankee. I love what comes with it. I love the standard that has been set here from all the generations, the great Yankees in the past. Yeah, this could very well be (the end of his Yankees tenure). I’m a realist. I’m not naive to it. But I think all that will shape out when the time is right.

Anthony Rizzo said as per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com

This development of Rizzo came just a day after Gerrit Cole decided to opt out of his deal. The Yankees can avoid this opt-out by adding another $36 million for an additional year to his contract and avoid losing him to free agency.

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Fans react as Anthony Rizzo becomes free agent after Yankees deny club option for 2025 season

The announcement of Anthony Rizzo becoming a free agent after the New York Yankees declined him a club option has brought out mixed reactions. While some thanked the former World Series winner for his time at the franchise, some criticized him for his performances, especially during the Fall Classic.

Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo (Image via AP)

Apart from that, some fans urged the Yankees to follow this same procedure with manager Aaron Boone. Since the World Series loss, the 51-year-old has been at the end of some highly critical comments from fans about his tactics. Check out some reactions from X regarding Rizzo becoming a free agent below:

Due to his injury, Rizzo managed to play in just 92 games during the regular season. He batted with a .228 average while hitting eight home runs and collecting 35 RBIs. As for the 2024 postseason, he went 8-for-30 with a batting average of .267. He, though, failed to register a single home run or RBI.

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Gerrit Cole

The Yankees now face a tough test regarding free agency. With Rizzo becoming a free agent and Gerrit Cole’s future in the balance, the team also finds themselves losing superstar Juan Soto to free agency. It is likely that keeping Cole and re-signing Soto would be the main priority of the team at this point.