Breaking news: Four-time All-Star and $17 million free agent for the Yankees set to return as Coach.
The Boston Red Sox picked Anthony Rizzo, a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in the sixth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. Roman Anthony, the top baseball prospect and current Red Sox star, was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft from the same high school.
However, Rizzo’s major league career seems to be coming to an end, while Anthony’s has not even begun. The 14-year veteran and four-time All-Star became a free agent after the New York Yankees informed Rizzo that they would not honor his $17 million option for 2025, two days after the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series. And nearly four months later, he is still a free agent.
On the one hand, Rizzo seems to be aware that his time as an MLB player may be coming to an end. In a recent interview, he stated that he had “definitely thought about” retiring, adding, “I’m not naive to it.” It may be. However, the 35-year-old, who was dealt by the Red Sox in 2010 for Adrian Gonzalez, a first baseman for the San Diego Padres, is not yet prepared to accept the end of his career.
“I believe I still have a lot to contribute to the game. In an interview with The Athletic that was released on Friday, he stated, “I want to play.” “Winning is what I desire. Additionally, I like discussing the game with batters and pitchers. There’s a lot to explore. I will continue to talk to people about everything that goes into it, both on and off the field.”
It appears that the well-known Yankee fan site “Bleeding Yankee Blue” may have a solution that would enable Rizzo to reconcile the conflict by returning to the Yankees in the dual capacity of “player-coach.” Robert Casey, the chief writer at Bleeding Yankee Blue, commented, “I don’t think this is the end of Rizzo’s journey, but I think it could be the beginning of something pretty special.” Particularly if the Yankees are listening. Imagine this: In addition to being a player, the Bronx Bombers give Rizzo a special one-year contract as a “Player-Coach Mentor.”
In his article on Saturday, Casey stated that Rizzo will assume the leadership position that he believes manager Aaron Boone is unable to do.
“Rizzo has a part to play, whether it’s hitting dingers or giving motivational speeches. Even if that job looks a bit different than it did previously, the Yankees will make sure he stays in the game if they are smart,” Casey added. “If this Player-Coach Mentor idea takes off, it might just be the most Yankee move ever – both bold and sentimental, with a touch of that New York flair.”
Rizzo would be one of just two players on the 2025 Yankees squad with a World Series title on their resume if he made a comeback. In the 2016 World Series, he hit a home run and drove in five runs for the Chicago Cubs, which was their first and only World Series triumph since 1908. Max Fried, a recently signed free agency lefty pitcher, is now the only Yankee player with a ring. He started two games in the 2021 World Series, winning one and losing the other, for his team, the Atlanta Braves.
