Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was seen out at dinner in the Windy City. Could that mean he’s interested in a reunion?
Rizzo frequents Chicago, despite the fact he no longer plays for the Cubs. The former Chicago first baseman essentially spent nine of this first ten seasons in Chicago, so he knows the town quite well. Considering his means as a professional baseball player, it’s tough to blame him for visiting a place he called home for so long.
Over the weekend, Rizzo was spotted with fellow Chicago-ans Chris Chelios, Ryan Dempster and Nico Hoerner at Chicago Cut Steakhouse. The foursome took a photo, blowing up social media in the process.
Cubs: Does Anthony Rizzo reunion make sense?
The Cubs have been linked to Kris Bryant the most out of any of their former stars who hit free agency this offseason.
Frank Schwindel is currently slotted as the Cubs first baseman, so Rizzo would definitely fill a void. But is he worth the asking price?
Per Spotrac, Rizzo’s market value is somewhere around $20 million per season, which is similar to the demands of his former Cubs teammate, Kyle Schwarber. While the Cubs weren’t expected to be spenders heading into this offseason, they surprised many by signing Marcus Stroman to a three-year, $71 million deal, and are now in the conversation for Bryant, as previously mentioned.
While Jed Hoyer and Co. will publicly acknowledge they’re in a retooling of sorts, next offseason’s free agent class is lacking much of the star power that the 2021-22 group of players has. So, what better time to bring in some much-needed talent upgrades?
Rizzo is familiar with the Cubs front office, and plays a mean first base. If his asking price comes down post-lockout, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Cubs at least made a phonecall. But for now, his friendly visits to Chicago are nothing more than social media fodder.