Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo is off to the New York Yankees

It finally happened. We knew it was coming. Joc Pederson, Andrew Chafin, and Ryan Tepera were signs that a Chicago Cubs teardown was imminent. It wasn’t going to feel real, however, until some of the core that won the World Series in 2016 were gone. Now, that time has come. Anthony Rizzo has been traded to the New York Yankees in a deal that will send shockwaves across the league. This is as big of a trade as the Cubs have ever made.

Rizzo is one of the greatest players in the history of the Cubs. He was the leader of the team when they won in 2016. It was a great moment for him personally and the city of Chicago because the Cubs finally did it.

The fact that the Yankees are the team that landed Rizzo is incredibly surprising. They aren’t close to a playoff spot and aren’t playing well as a team. They also made a big trade for Joey Gallo the night before. Clearly, they believe that they are still in contention for a spot in the American League playoffs. Now, they are adding a first baseman that is on an expiring contract.

Rizzo is currently slashing .248/.346/.446 for an OPS of .792. He also has 14 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 41 runs scored. He is going to be a valuable piece to the Yankees as they try to come back from the hole they have dug themselves into. With big bats in the lineup like Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo, and Giancarlo Stanton amongst others, they might be able to.

The Chicago Cubs were given everything and more by Anthony Rizzo in his time there.

Chicago owes Anthony Rizzo a lot. He has been an amazing player both on and off the field. It is hard to remember a player on any team that has had the same level of impact in the community that he has. He has been amazing for them in that aspect in addition to being an All-Star caliber first baseman for years.

In return for Rizzo, the Cubs are getting two of the Yankees’ top 15 prospects. Alexander Vizcaino (RHP) is their number nine prospect. Kevin Alcantra (OF) is their number 12 prospect. We don’t know if they are ever going to mature into MLB players but the Cubs are certainly going to try their best to develop them.

The pitcher, Vizcaino, might be the biggest key to the trade because the Cubs really need to start getting better at developing pitching. Anthony Rizzo is certainly going to be missed by Cubs fans. We all knew that this day was coming but it still doesn’t feel real.