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Nov 9, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer answers questions from the media during the MLB GM Meetings at The Conrad Las Vegas. Photo: Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY Sports

Cubs Shouldn't Bring Back Anthony Rizzo… Right Now

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Tyler Edmunds | Last updated Nov 4, 2024 12:15 PM ET

Anthony Rizzo is on the free-agent market after the New York Yankees declined the first baseman's 2025 club option. Unsurprisingly, the news has Chicago Cubs fans talking about the possibility of a reunion with the former franchise cornerstone.

Rizzo, who missed significant time this past season due to a fractured hand, finished the 2024 campaign with a .228/.301/.335 slash line, eight home runs, 12 doubles, and 35 RBIs in 92 games. And although he did go 8-for-30 in the playoffs, his production just wasn’t enough for the Yankees to pull the trigger on a $17 million deal for next season.

Enter Cubs fans and the push for Rizzo.

Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer is under significant pressure to put a playoff-caliber team on the field in 2025. After all, this could be his last year with the final say in the Cubs' front office. We all know what Rizzo has meant to the Cubs’ organization and the city of Chicago, but slamming the gavel on a return to Wrigley shouldn’t be in Hoyer’s playbook, at least right now.

The Cubs currently have no room to add Rizzo. Cody Bellinger opted into his one-year deal, Michael Busch is coming off a hot rookie season, Seiya Suzuki is hovering between right field and the designated hitter spot, and Pete Crow-Armstrong showed signs indicating a breakout performance may be in store for 2025. Those factors leave no room for Rizzo. And let’s face it, considering Rizzo’s career trajectory, would the veteran really outperform any of the aforementioned players in 2025?

The Cubs’ first significant offseason move shouldn’t be signing a player entering his age-35 season, regardless of nostalgia.

Crucial Offseason for the Cubs

Jed Hoyer has bigger fish to fry when the free-agent market opens up, like signing Juan Soto to a more-than-half-billion dollar deal and adding another ace ala Corbin Burnes. And maybe even bringing in another bullpen arm, or trading for an additional big bat such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Okay, those are lofty plans, but the point stands: Anthony Rizzo shouldn't be atop the Cubs' priority list.

I love Rizzo just as much as any other Cubs fan, and it pains me to even say the organization shouldn’t reunite with the former World Series champion right now. But that doesn’t mean the door should be slammed shut.

Perhaps after a few offseason trades to shape the roster, Hoyer will need a veteran left-handed bat to round out the bench. Rizzo could be an option in that scenario. However, if Hoyer sits on his hands for most of the winter while only executing a couple of subpar moves and then decides to add Rizzo on a one-year deal in an attempt to appease Cubs fans, we’ve got problems. But we’ll cross that bridge if we get there.

For now, all I’m saying is the Cubs have bigger moves to make this offseason, and bringing back Anthony Rizzo shouldn't be one of them at the moment.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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