MESA, ARIZONA – MARCH 03: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after his two run home run against the Seattle Mariners in the fourth inning on March 03, 2021 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Anthony Rizzo is set to play out the final year of his contract after he and the Cubs could not come to an agreement on a new deal before Opening Day.
The Chicago Cubs are likely entering the final year of the current era in 2021. Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Anthony Rizzo are all in the final year of their respective deals and the Cubs do not appear to be in any hurry to get extensions signed.
The 31-year-old Rizzo has spent nine seasons with Chicago and was one of the heroes of the 2016 championship team. Keeping him around seems like an obvious plan. However, he revealed to the media that him and the Cubs are going to start the season without an extension in place.
Cubs fans likely fearing the worst with Anthony Rizzo
This is not great news for Cubs fans. The team is set to enter the season with its three stars all in contract years. Is a rebuild coming? Are the Cubs making one last run in 2021? There are so many questions and far too many unknowns just a few days ahead of Opening Day.
Rizzo was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2007. A few years later he was sent to the San Diego Padres in the blockbuster Adrian Gonzalez trade. Then came the trade that launched his career.
The Padres sent Rizzo to Chicago before the 2012 season and the rest is history. He was an All-Star by 2014 and finished 10th in National League MVP voting the same year. Rizzo has a 35.1 career WAR in Chicago and is already an all-time great in franchise history.
So what is the holdup on an extension? That could come down to the Cubs not wanting to hand out a long-term deal to someone over the age of 30. Or it is possible ownership wants to cut costs for a few years after a season of lost revenues in 2020. Whatever the case may be, Rizzo not having a new deal is bad news for fans.