Anthony Rizzo, the anchor of the 2016 World Series-winning team, was one of the stars from the Chicago Cubst who departed at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline. Rizzo was traded to the New York Yankees, where he helped take the team to the AL Wild Card game. Rizzo will have a few potential landing spots when the lockout ends outside of a return to one of these legendary franchises.
Over an 11 year career, Rizzo is a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover, a Platinum Glove winner, and a Silver Slugger winner. He has a career slash line of .268/.369/.481 who is known as one of the best defensive first basemen in the league. The icing on the cake for the veteran is that he comes with plenty of playoff experience. Over the past two seasons, Rizzo has been hitting .240, but the 32-year-old has a long track record of success. Here are a few potential landing spots for Rizzo.
Landing Spots for Anthony Rizzo
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have a couple of options at first in Rowdy Tellez and Keston Hiura. However, both have had their fair share of inconsistencies in their short careers. While Rizzo has had his share of inconsistent play over the past two seasons, he is a proven player. His ability to put the ball in play would be a nice changeup for a team with the fourth-most strikeouts in the NL in 2021. Plus, having Rizzo play at first would help a young player like Luis Urias, who led the league with 24 errors.
Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians look much different than they did a few years ago. While the faces may be different, one thing that they still have is pitching. Despite having one of the worst offenses in the AL, the Guardians were just two games under .500. Rizzo would add on-base ability to a 13th in the AL in OBP with a .303 mark. Someone like Rizzo in the same lineup as Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes would make the middle of the order dangerous. His leadership could also help the young position players develop and get the Guardians into the postseason once again.
San Diego Padres
Late in the 2021 season, there was a report by The Athletic’s Dennis Lin saying that the San Diego Padres were interested in Rizzo at the trade deadline. If the Padres eyed him at the deadline, they might be circle back to him this offseason. San Diego could potentially trade their current first baseman Eric Hosmer once the lockout is over. However, that may not be necessary if a universal DH is in the next CBA. The weight of their expectations proved to be too much for the Padres in 2021. Being a member of the Cubs and the Yankees, Rizzo has dealt with hefty expectations his whole career. The addition of Rizzo would help San Diego reach their sky-high expectations in 2022. Rizzo first entered the league in a Padres uniform, so returning to where it began could be in order.
The 32-year-old has an impressive track record. Beyond the field, he is a great leader in the clubhouse and the community. It is hard to pin down the contract length and money he might receive in free agency, but there are plenty of potential landing spots that Rizzo can call home.
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