MLB trade grades, revisited: Cubs got rid of Anthony Rizzo at right time, and Yankees know it

The New York Yankees are having quite the start to the 2024 season. Their move to bring in superstar outfielder Juan Soto has paid dividends, as it has strengthened their offense and other players have benefitted when stepping inside the batter's box. Well, except for one player.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo has struggled to catch on this season. Last year, Rizzo was sidelined for the majority of the 2023 campaign due to post-concussion symptoms. This year, Rizzo has recorded a .224 batting average, a .285 on-base percentage, a .339 slugging percentage, seven home runs, 25 RBI, 29 runs, 55 hits, 46 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 245 at-bats (64 games). Not to mention, Rizzo has struggled defensively, picking up three errors so far this season.

With these struggles, Rizzo has found himself benched for the Yankees' series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, and for their series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Monday. But Rizzo will be back in the lineup for Tuesday night's game in Kansas City.

When looking at Rizzo's struggles recently, you have to look back at the trade in 2021 that brought the former World Series champion and multi-time Gold Glove winner to the Yankees.

Revisiting Yankees' 2021 trade with Cubs for Anthony Rizzo

At the 2021 trade deadline, the Yankees pulled off a trade with the Chicago Cubs to acquire Rizzo in exchange for two prospects -- right-handed pitcher Alexander Vizcaino and outfielder Kevin Alcantara.

Now, let's hand out some grades of this trade with the power of hindsight and with Rizzo's struggles.

Yankees' Anthony Rizzo trade regrade: C-

Back in 2021, the Yankees were looking to bolster their batting order ahead of a surefire postseason berth. So, they gave a call to the Cubs and addressed their need for a first baseman who could actually play the position. For the second half of that season, Rizzo slashed .249/.340/.428 while recording eight home runs, 21 RBI, 32 runs, and 43 hits. Afterwards, Rizzo signed a two-year, $32 million deal with the Yankees, with an opt-out after the 2022 campaign.

In his first full season with the Yankees, Rizzo slashed .224/.338/.480 while recording 32 home runs, 75 RBI, 77 runs, and 104 hits in 465 at-bats (130 games). The power was there for Rizzo, which is something the Yankees wanted, but the batting average left a lot to be desired. Rizzo opted out of his last deal, and re-upped with a new two-year, $40 million contract.

After that deal, Rizzo played in just 99 games before being ruled out due to post-concussion symptoms stemming from a collision at first base with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres in late May 2023. Rizzo would play through that injury for a bit before ultimately being shut down.

This year, Rizzo found himself on the bench for two games after struggling through the first two months of the season. While Rizzo's power and glove was something the Yankees coveted while they aimed to contend for the World Series, he has become the weakest part of the team's batting order this season. With that, the Yankees get a C-, barring a turnaround later this season.

Cubs trade regrade: B

The Cubs had a decision to make during the 2021 season, and that was what to do with their core players, such as Rizzo and Javier Baez. With both hitting free agency at the end of the year, the Cubs chose to trade them away for prospects. By trading Rizzo, the Cubs acquired Vizcaino and Alcantara from the Yankees.

Vizcaino turned out to be a non-factor for the Cubs. After failing to report to spring training, Vizcaino was placed on the restricted list by the Cubs and has never played in the major or minor league season ever since.

As for Alcantara, he is currently Chicago's No. 4 ranked prospect in the entire farm system, per MLB Pipeline. Here is what MLB Pipeline's scouting report says of Alcantara:

"Alcantara struggled when he got overly aggressive at the plate in the first two months last season, then batted .329/.404/.551 once he recalibrated his plate discipline. His 6-foot-6 frame results in a naturally long right-handed swing, and he’s at his best when he keeps his stroke relatively compact and focuses on making hard contact rather than worrying about home runs. He has good feel for using the opposite field and could develop 30-homer power if he learns to pull and lift pitches more regularly."

This season in Double-A, Alcantara recorded a .261 batting average, a .305 on-base percentage, a .388 slugging percentage, five home runs, 19 RBI, 20 runs, 49 hits, 54 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 188 at-bats (48 games).

While it's still too early to tell about how Alcantara will play in Chicago, the Cubs getting the No. 58 overall prospect in the entire majors is a win. For now, they get a B grade, considering they got Alcantara in exchange for Rizzo, who was entering free agency at the end of the 2021 season, and is struggling now.