The New York Yankees could be bracing for another loss to the Houston Astros.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports “The Astros have identified Anthony Rizzo as their No. 1 free-agent target at first base. They also are considering Yuli Gurriel and José Abreu, but signing Rizzo would serve the dual purpose of bolstering their own roster while weakening the Yankees.”
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Rizzo opted out of his two-year, $32 million contract after the Astros won the World Series. The Yankees countered by extending the qualifying offer to the 33-year-old, so New York will receive draft-pick compensation should the slugger leave town. However Rosenthal notes if Rizzo “accepts the team’s qualifying offer, he would earn a higher one-year salary than he might receive in a multi-year deal.” The qualifying offer is worth $19.65 million for the 2023 season.
The San Francisco Giants have also been linked to Rizzo, who tied his career high with 32 home runs this season. Expect the Yankees to make a push to re-sign Rizzo, who the club acquired from the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2021 MLB trade deadline.
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One concern for the Yankees will be Rizzo’s balky back. He played 130 of the Yankees’ 162 regular-season games and started all nine postseason games but was shut down three times this season due to back issues.
However Rizzo, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner and three-time All-Star, is said to be close to Aaron Judge, and the first baseman’s return to the Bronx could go a long way towards re-signing the slugging MVP candidate.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected].