MLB Free Agents: Top 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021, ranked
By Manny Gómez
MLB Free Agents: 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021
Anthony Rizzo – Chicago Cubs (Club Option)
Anthony Rizzo continues to be one of the underrated players of his generation. It’s not that people don’t recognize his talents or what he means to the Chicago Cubs, it’s that he doesn’t have the gaudy numbers, a flashy style of play, or even the name recognition outside of the sport.
If anything, Rizzo compares to guys that can be the cornerstone of an organization without even being the best player on his team. I’m talking about guys like Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia.
For his career, Rizzo has a slash line of .273 / .373 / .488. His career-high home run total stands at 32 while his career-best RBI total is 109.
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Now, unfortunately for Rizzo, unlike J.D. Martinez, his contract includes a club option, which takes all control away from the club. At the same time, however, there are a set of sweeteners in the deal, like
- $2M 2020-21 escalators if he wins 1 MVP, or 2 Top 5 MVP votes during deal (Exercised)
- Hotel Suite on the Road
Conversely, the most Rizzo will probably make regardless of whether the club option is exercised is what he’s already set to get ($16.5M AAV). Why? Well, because if he outperforms his deal, the Cubs will certainly keep him.
However, if he underperforms and starts to show a bit of a decline, teams will be less inclined to offer him a monster free-agent deal. He’s in a tough position and all he can do at this point is to continue doing what he’s already doing: being consistent.