The New York Yankees got swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS, and Anthony Rizzo is making the loss even more painful.
The New York Yankees are missing the World Series yet again after not making an appearance since 2009. As if that’s not painful enough, they’re probably about to lose some star players in the midst of it all.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic reportedly shared, “Anthony Rizzo is expected to opt out of a $16 million player option for 2023, so first base needs to be addressed. The Yankees are expected to exercise right-hander Luis Severino’s $15 million team option.”
Aaron Judge didn’t do as well in the postseason as he did in the regular season, and Rizzo picked up the slack quite well with Harrison Bader. During the postseason, Rizzo led the team in RBIs (8) and on-base percentage (.432). He also had the third-best batting average (.276), second-best slugging percentage (.552) and OPS (.984). He trailed Bader in most areas, and he was above Judge in a good number of statistical categories.
As the Yanks try to make up for their poor playoff performance this offseason, they may be moving backward in progression before they move forward.
Yankees may face more trouble this offseason
Bader was a solid midseason pickup. He produced the best numbers in the postseason for the Yanks, and he’s luckily bound to contract through next season. However, beyond him, some of New York’s players may be out the door that will set the team back.
Judge, though unfavorable in the postseason, was one of the most reliable hitters in the baseball during the regular season. He broke the AL single-season home run record that was set in 1961 and hit the best of his career, slashing .311/.425/.686 for an OPS of 1.111. He’s hitting free agency in 2023, and there’s no guarantee that New York will keep him.
The Yankees may also lose Matt Carpenter and Andrew Benintendi to free agency, which would eliminate a good chunk of talent from the roster. If they do lose these players, they may have to prepare to spend in the offseason to fill the holes that’ll be left.
Next. Complete list of Yankees upcoming free agents and predictions. dark