Will the Yankees extend Anthony Rizzo?

After coming out of nowhere to acquire Anthony Rizzo, will the New York Yankees sign the former Cubs first baseman to a contract extension?

The Chicago Cubs were clearly entertaining offers for first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and the New York Yankees swooped in and got him the day before the trade deadline. Even as the symbol of the end of an era that yielded a World Series win in 2016, the Cubs came out pretty nicely in the deal.

The Cubs picked up Rizzo’s option to keep him around this season. Talks regarding a contract extension went awry when Rizzo was reportedly seeking a deal in the $100 million range the Cubs offered $70 million over five years. That set the stage for Rizzo to be traded, and it happened.

Will the Yankees extend Anthony Rizzo after blockbuster trade with Cubs?

There’s no denying Rizzo’s resume. He’s a three-time All-Star, and a four-time Gold Glover (three straight years heading into this year) with a Silver Slugger and of course that World Series ring as the Cubs ended their lengthy championship drought.

But approaching 32 years old on Aug. 8, Rizzo is not that guy anymore. The power is still there to some degree (14 home runs in 92 games this season), backed by nice exit velocity metrics (via Statcast). But he’s hitting only .248 this year, after hitting .222 in the shortened 2020 campaign. From 2014-2019, he never hit below .273. His walk rate is below 10 percent this year for the first time since 2012. He’s hitting more fly balls and ground balls, and fewer line drives. He’s also not hitting the ball the other way the last couple of years how he did previously. It all adds up to an aging hitter who isn’t as well-rounded as he was.

That said, Rizzo’s left-handed power should play very well in Yankee Stadium with that short right-field porch. Even with the drop in walk rate, he’s getting on base at a solid .346 clip this season.

Rizzo’s ask on a new contract is sure to come down from what seemed to be around $20 million a year, and more than one or two years will be too much for a lot of teams. Cubs fans are surely already dreaming of his return upon hitting free agency, and that might happen (never say never).

But in regard to the Yankees, the odds they’ll sign Rizzo to an extension are long unless he rediscovers his full 2014-2019 form down the stretch. Even then, it’s probably no better than a coin-flip chance.