It's been a long time since 2016. The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years on a cold November night in Cleveland. Most of the star players from that team are no longer playing in Chicago – it was close to a decade ago, after all. The likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant have all played for multiple teams since that fateful night. However, one of them in particular has fallen upon harder times than the others.
Rizzo remains a free agent this season while the other stars from that Core Four are at the very least employed by another team. The aging first baseman played for the New York Yankees last season, but suffered a multitude of injuries including a scary concussion. Rizzo struggled to make meaningful appearances in the postseason, as he was playing through pain in the Bronx. His Yankees teammates came to admire Rizzo's ironman status, but that wasn't enough for Brian Cashman to keep him around another year.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Anthony Rizzo's value has plummeted since his days with the Cubs
In free agency, Rizzo refused to sign below what he believed to be his market value. The 35-year-old made his desire to play clear in an interview with The Athletic during spring training, but also wouldn't back off his initial demands.
"If teams are not going to want to pay a few million dollars for veterans, I’ve seen it the last 10 years of my career. It’s what happens to the older guys. They kind of get squeezed. You’ve seen it happen more and more. I’m not naive to it. It could be it," Rizzo said.
While Rizzo was a great player in his prime, there is a reason he didn't receive a contract offer north of $10 million this winter. Front offices are weary of his ability to stay on the field. And even when he's able to play, Rizzo is a shell of his former self. Last season he had an OPS of just .637.
Now, I should note that most of the reason Rizzo's value has decreased since he last played with the Cubs – which was 2021 – is merely father time. Rizzo was 31 when he was traded to the Yankees. Now he is 35. That makes a significant difference.
However, Rizzo also hasn't been the same player since then, and the injuries are starting to pile up. If the former Cubs star actually wants to play baseball this season, it'd be best if he put his ego aside.