9) Worst contracts in the AL East: Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo had a really strong year in 2022, hitting 32 home runs and posting an .817 OPS for the Yankees. That strong year caused the Yankees to re-sign him that offseason, handing him a two-year deal that guaranteed him $40 million.
Rizzo is making $17 million this season and next season while the Yankees have a club option for the 2025 campaign worth another $17 million with a $6 million buyout. This seemed like a very reasonable deal at the time for the 34-year-old, and it even looked like a steal with the way he started this season.
Rizzo slashed .304/.376/.505 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI through his first 52 games of the season. For the first two months, he looked like prime Rizzo from his years with the Cubs. All was great until the incident happened.
Boone said the Yankees trace this back to the Tatis Jr. collision. Testing showed cognitive impairment https://t.co/5M5qq4dJge
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 3, 2023
In a game against the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. collided with Rizzo on a pickoff attempt at first base which clearly affected Rizzo. He left that game and struggled mightily after that incident. He went from a borderline MVP candidate to a guy slashing .172/.271/.225 with one home run and nine RBI in 46 games following the collision.
Rizzo then landed on the IL just recently with a concussion the Yankees believe is dated from that injury. It's safe to say Rizzo's struggles were indeed because of that play, and if he proves that then his contract is not bad at all. He just has to prove that first.