Anthony Rizzo a free agent after Yankees decline $17M option

NEW YORK -- The Yankees have declined Anthony Rizzo's $17 million club option for the 2025 season, the team announced, making the veteran first baseman a free agent.

By not exercising the clause, the Yankees will pay Rizzo a $6 million buyout. Rizzo had signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the team option in November 2022.

"To wear this jersey is something special that I wish every baseball player gets to feel because it's a different feeling wearing this jersey," Rizzo said after the Yankees' season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday. "And I loved every second of it."

The Yankees initially acquired Rizzo in a trade with the Chicago Cubs in July 2021. Rizzo slashed .234/.326/.409 with 60 home runs across three-plus injury-plagued seasons in New York.

Rizzo, a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, was limited to 99 games in 2023 because of post-concussion syndrome. This year, he missed more than two months with a fractured forearm and posted the worst offensive season of his career, batting .228 with eight home runs and a .637 OPS in 92 games. He missed the American League Division Series after breaking two fingers on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch on the penultimate day of the regular season.

Rizzo, 35, returned for the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians and started each of the Yankees' five World Series games against the Dodgers. He went 8-for-30 (.267) with a .721 OPS in the two rounds.

The Yankees on Friday exercised their $2 million option on closer Luke Weaver's contract. On Saturday,ace Gerrit Cole opted out of his contract with the Yankees, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.