Red Sox: Ranking the top five bargain contracts in Major League Baseball
By Jimmy Longo
Anthony Rizzo
The first of two Chicago Cubs on this list, the young first baseman’s contract is the largest on the list, but heavily the most team-friendly.
A now three-time All-Star in the NL while wearing a Cub’s uniform, Anthony Rizzo‘s seven-year, $41 million contract with the Cubs is both formidable for Rizzo but also extremely valuable for the organization.
Amongst first baseman, Rizzo’s contract based on value is the seventeenth-best in the majors, and similar in terms of financials to that of the one-year deal Mitch Moreland signed with the Red Sox.
Last year, Rizzo hit .292 with 32 home runs and 109 RBIs, his third straight year of 30+ home runs and his second year in a row with over 100 RBIs, winning the Silver Slugger Award as the National League’s best offensive first baseman amongst the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto, and Freddie Freeman among others.
A catalyst in the middle of the Cubs lineup and clubhouse, Rizzo also won the NL Gold Glove at first base, his first overall Gold Glove Award win.
As the 2017 season approaches and the Cubs look to defend their World Series title, Rizzo will make a base contract of $7,000,000 in what will continue to be a bargain for the response of production, and a masterful deal by Theo Epstein in building the young core of major league’s best team.